CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(l\/lonographs) 


ICMH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monograph  ies) 


Canadian  Instltuta  for  Hiitorical  Mlcroraproductiona  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductiona  hiatoriquaa 


1995 


TKhnical  and  Bibliograpliic  Notts  /  Notn  nctiniqiMi  .t  bibliographiqiws 


Thi  InttituM  hn  animpttd  to  obtain  tht  batt  orifinal 
copy  aoailabk  for  f ilmin(.  Faaturas  of  thit  copy  which 
may  ba  Mbliographically  uniqua,  which  may  iiltar  any 
of  tha  imaga<  in  tha  raproduetion,  or  which  may 
lignificantly  chan«t  tha  uiual  mathod  of  filmin«,  ara 
chadcad  balow. 


0Colourad  eovars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I       I  Conarj  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagia 

Covart  raitorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  rastauria  at/ou  palliculia 

Covar  titia  mining/ 

La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 

Colourad  maps/ 

Cartas  gtographiquas  an  coulaur 


D 
D 
D 
D 


D 


D 


Colourad  ink  li.a.  othar  than  blua  or  Mack)/ 
Enera  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  Maua  ou  noira) 

Colourad  platas  and/or  Illustrations/ 
Planchas  at/ou  illustrations  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
Ralii  avac  d'autras  documents 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 
La  raliura  sarria  paut  causar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
di!!tarsion  la  long  da  la  marga  intariaun 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may  appaar 
within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possiMa.  thtsa  hava 
baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  u  paut  qua  cartainas  pagas  blanches  ajoutias 
tors  d'una  rastauration  apparaissant  dans  la  taxta, 
mais,  lorsqua  cala  tuit  possible,  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  M  filmin. 


Additional  comments;/ 
Commentaires  supplimantaires; 


This  item  Is  filmed  at  tha  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ca  document  est  f  ilmi  au  taux  da  rMuctlon  indiqu*  ci-dassous 

'"  MX  ,8x 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  la  meilleur  exempleire  qu'il 
lui  a  tti  possible  da  tt  procurer.  Las  details  da  cat 
examplaira  qui  sont  paut-<tre  uniques  du  point  da  vua 
bibliographkiua.  qui  pauvent  modifier  una  image 
raproduita.  ou  qui  pauvent  exiger  una  modification 
dans  la  methoda  normale  de  f  ilmaga  sont  indiquis 
ci-dessous. 

□  Coloured  pages/ 
Pagas  da  couleur 

□  Pagas  damaged/ 
Pagas  andommagias 

□  Pagas  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  rasuuries  at/ou  palliculies 

Q  Pagas  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pagas  dicolorias.  tachetto  ou  piquacs 

n  Pagas  detached/ 
Pages  detachies 

0Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

□  Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quanta  Inegale  de  I'impression 

□  Continuous  pagination/ 
Pagination  continue 

□  Includes  indexlesi/ 
Comprend  un  (desi  index 

Title  on  header  taken  f rom:  / 
Le  titra  de  l'ent*te  provient: 

□  Title  page  of  issue/ 
Page  de  titrt  da  la  livraison 

□  Caption  of  issue/ 
Titrt  da  dipart  da  la 


livraison 


I       I  Masthead/ 


Ganerique  (piriodiques)  de  la  livraison 


a 


TTT 


22X 


20X 


24X 


u 


Th«  copy  filmad  har*  hat  b«*n  raproduead  thanks 
to  tha  ganarositv  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'axamplaira  filmi  fut  raproduit  grlca  i  la 
gtntroiit*  da: 

Bibliotheque  nationale  du  Canada 


Tha  imaga*  appaaring  hara  a.a  tha  bait  quality 
poaiibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contraet  spacificationi. 


Lat  imagas  tuivantai  ont  M  raproduitat  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nanat*  da  l'axamplaira  fllmi,  at  an 
eonformitt  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  copiaa  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  fllmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  fiimad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  imprasaion. 


Las  axamplairaa  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  aat  imprimaa  sont  filmAs  an  commancant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  ampraints 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  la  eaa.  Tous  las  autras  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  filmts  an  commandant  par  la 
pramitra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnitra  paga  qui  comporta  una  taiia 
amprainta. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  — *'  Imaaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  Imaaning  "END"), 
whiehavar  applias. 


Un  das  symbolaa  suivants  ipparaitra  sur  la 
darniira  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  — ^  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbols  V  signifia  "FIN". 


Maps,  platas.  charts,  ate,  may  ba  fiimad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratioa.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraiy  inciudad  in  ona  axposura  ara  fiimad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  eornar,  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framaa  aa 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrams  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Las  cartaa,  planchas,  tablaaux,  ate.  pauvant  itra 
filmts  i  daa  taux  da  reduction  difftrants. 
Lorsqua  la  documant  ast  trop  grand  pour  itra 
raproduit  an  un  saul  clicht.  il  ast  film*  A  psrtir 
da  I'angia  supiriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  i  droita, 
at  da  haut  an  baa,  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'Imagas  ntcassaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrant  la  mAthoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICROCOPY   RESOLUTION   TEST  CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TCV  CHART  No,  2) 


_^'  APPLIED  IN/MGE     In 

— ^^  16!>3  East   Moin   Street 

sr^  Rochester.   Ncm    Vork         U609       USA 

r.^S  (7'6)  <B2  -  0300  -  Phone 

^K  (^'6)   388  -  5989  -  Fax 


5 

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The  Giant's  Strength 

BY 

BASIL  KING 

AUTHOR  OF 
THE  INNER  SHRINE,  THE  WILD  OUVE. 
THE  STREET  CALLED  STRAIGHT.  ETC 

"0,  itiieicellnt 
To  h>n  •  liint'i  itretitlb:  but  it  istTnnnoni 
To  gie  il  like  ■  tiant." 

—Mianm/tr  Mtaum. 

♦ 

NEW    YORK 

GROSSET   &   DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 

Pufcbhed  by  Anangement  with  Haiper  &  Bro&en. 

-<  r 


■3m 


1-^ 


CopjTiiht,  1906,  by  HtiPM  ft  B.OII1IU. 
Pnbliihtd  March,  ,,07. 


0  911627 


TO 
THE   DEAR   AND    BLESSED   MBHORV   OF 

GEORGE  WRIGHT  HODGSON 

"Vlutmr  w»7  my  d<yi  decliat, 
I  kk  ud  (nl,  dio'  Mt  alone, 
Hit  being  working  in  mine  own. 


The  ioowepi  of  Iw  liie  i 


In  Mtmortam* 


THE  GIANT'S  STRENGTH 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


CHAPTER   I 


AS  it  was  the  entr'acte  of  the  opera  the  lobby  of 
I\.  the  Casino  was  filled  with  a  gay  and  noisy  cos- 
mopolitan crowd.  All  the  more,  therefore,  was  it  a 
proof  of  the  celebrity  to  which  Paul  Trafford  had 
attained  that  his  entry  caused  a  distinct  and  general 
thrill  of  curiosity.  A  man  who  was  reckoned  the  rich- 
est in  the  world  could  not  be  other  than  an  object  of 
supreme  interest  to  people  whose  first  cry  was  rr-or-jy. 
The  fact  that  he  had  arrived  at  Monte  Carlo  the  day 
before  had  been  as  much  a  topic  of  conversation  as  if 
he  had  been  King  Edward  or  the  Czar.  Now  that  he 
appeared  and  was  recognized,  princes,  duchesses,  and 
adventurers  instinctively  fell  back  a  little,  making  way 
for  him  and  his.party  to  pass  on.  Here  and  there  some 
one  claimed  the  privilege  of  his  acquaintance,  and  bow- 
ed before  his  nod  as  before  a  pope's  benediction.  Those 
who  followed  in  his  train  were  besieged  with  greetings. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Trafford  were  actually  cut  off 
from  the  procession  and  made  prisoners  of  war.  The 
I 


"nm  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


W»  back  on  them        ^  *"  P^"''-  ""d  tuming 

unmoved  by  the  stir  she  c«aS^°"sr"""'  *°  ""'"y- 
but  she  was  used  to  it  H,  •  l  ^^  "^«  of  it. 
father's  companioL  j"  ^^^^  ,%"  -~-ta„tI,her 
come  to  uke  pubhc^ftn  i.  "'^'"'  '^'  '«"' 
At  first  the  Jrest  she  „spi"ed  '^T"""'  ^°'"^^- 
r^he  interest  inseparable  fm™  .'""  '"''^"onal 

■can  p.^.  called  "Eeatt  h.""'  ^^""^  *■=  ^n-er- 
fortune  was  comn^J-J      •?."*"' °"  «arth.''    Her 

Holland.  andrtretuSlt/  ^' ^"^  Q^"  "^ 
Rockefeller  famihes.  but  that  1/  ^  ^r"*'"'"''''  "'' 
at  twenty-two,  she  ;as  Ime ,1;  V"'  ^°^'  ''°^«ver. 
thathadsuno'unded he/and^!  ^""^  ^'  ^^^'"  "«« 

r»^ds  this.  People"  ad  f2dV  ''°""  ''°'""'""g 
Pri  wij.  so  much'mon  '  1^ Va"""^"""  *«  ' 
bke  r^e-petals  floating  L^  A  '  """P'^"'"" 
fact  that  her  figure  had  n„Ti  *^  resented  the 

an  expression  of  appe  f  S^' r«>  »»<»  her  face 
Rumor,  of  marriage  sp«r'„  u  "  '""'  "°  "'■"^ng. 
The  girl  knew  the^S  T^;"^^".'''' appeared, 
count  of  them,  or  letting  1^?  *'""«  =•«"=»'  "=- 
consciousness.  At  tWs  it?  T  P'"  "^ '""  -^aily 
fact  that  her  looks  we^M"-*'  T'**  '>°^''  *« 
appraised,  in  gazinrabou  hfr  n^'  '""'' '""  '"^^^ 
"owlty  of  the  scene.  '     *^  »"«"«»nMt.  at  the 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"We're  now  in  one  of  those  spott  of  No-manVIand," 
»aid  the  Duke  of  Wiltshire,  as  they  entered  the  first 
saloon,  "which  modem  civilization  likes  to  set  apart  as 
cities  of  refuge  from  the  rule  of  caste  and  conven- 
tionality." 

Paula  turned  her  soft  eyes  slowly  towards  him.  They 
were  blue  eyes  with  black  lashes— the  Celtic  eyes  in- 
herited from  her  father's  mother— the  eyes  in  which 
faith  is  mingled  with  superstition,  in  which  self-devo- 
tion has  a  dash  of  insincerity,  and  in  which  laughter 
never  wholly  hides  the  mist  of  tear-.  Between  the 
brows  there  was  a  tiny,  perpendicular  furrow,  like  that 
of  a  person  endeavoring  to  see  through  the  rights  and 
wrongs  of  things,  and  conscientiously  trying  to  be  sure. 
It  was  this  puzzled,  inquiring  look  that  the  Duke  of 
Wiltshire  specially  loved  in  her.  It  gave  him  an  oppor- 
tunity for  the  .  nd  of  explanatory  woric  in  which  he 
excelled  in  the  House  of  Lords. 

"Haven't  you  noticed,"  he  went  on,  in  answer  to 
Paula's  unspoken  interrogation,  "that  in  all  die  great 
capitals  of  the  world— London,  Paris,  and  New  York, 
for  instance— there  are  two  or  three  expensive  re^- 
tourants  and  luxurious  hotels,  where  on  crossing  the 
very  threshold  one  steps  outside  all  the  limitations  of 
nationality,  moral  prejudice,  and  class  distinction  f " 

"That's  vety  true,"  Paul  Trafford  said,  in  corrob- 
oration. 

He  liked  to  listen  to  Wiltshire's  reflections  on  sub- 
jects that  he  himself  had  never  thought  about.    "He's 
always  widening  your  mind  in  some  direction  where 
3 


■^^E  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


you  never  looked  hffnr.  »  i. 

«>  Paula.    ThelirT^"' ,,^«  Hf  "^-""^  '"''  *«. 

•o  lacking;  it  was  one  „;„   '^,  P''^'"'  f'"™'  were 
n-  to  »,ro.  Wn,.    8^1?^^°"^ '"  "''""«- 
help  Lting  him,"  .he  often  toM  I,       ,r    ^°  °"'  '=°"'<1 
moved  slowly  along  °S'f'""''^=  and  yet  a,  they 
«=ye.  upon  then,,  she  Tgl^ej  Tf  ""^  ~  """y 
•horterthan herself. and Sh.  [""  *"  "^  ^« 
"'diocrity.    The  ;en   of  her  cl*^""r""'P"'" 
equipped  for  command     H,   r  T^  '"""'>'  ^««  aU 
NewEngla„d¥arme'"sso„"   /f".  "^^  '««'  ^een  a 
overtopped  most^rb;";  hel.''T'f '  '"""f  "  ''°>'' 
handsome.    Even  her  cousin  G^'"''  T"  ""'''"'ably 
lumbering,   had   somethW   aT^  '  ^''° '^'" '"S  and 

It  seemed  stmnge  to  her  Llr"''"u«  '"^•«  »»■•"• 
duke,  the  head  of  the  S^tJo "  k"'  """^  *"  ^"e«* 
descendant  of  a  line  Jl,  ,*'°'"*  of  Holroyd.  the 

make  Holbein.  V^ni:^Z,T  'T.'^  ''^''  ^el  t^ 
have  been  sem  into  L  ^rid  ^"'^''^  '"'""O"*.  should 
Mother  with  the  seal  o7  tl  cl        ^"  "P""""* 
set  upon  him.    She  could  n^    .^°-?'"<'"P'ace  indelibly 
edge  that  she  was  so^'l"This      '" '""«'f  ">«  knowK 
'"Ok  m  once  more  th^deufls  'Z  .'"Vr  "  •■''  e'»"<» 
«ubby,  sandy  beard   andl      ^  '',"  ''""■"•«  'yes,  his 
the  reformatory  am  ofihe     ""'^^  «e"«  *at  defied 
London,  she  ^s  cTnscLus  trTT'"''  ■*="'°"  '" 
almost  tender  pity  that  u!:       L  °^  '^  *"'''  °^  m.  of 
given  should  h'  ^'  ^  L„tend     T  ~  """^''  "^ '^^-» 
advanuges.  ''"''  '^'h  such  obvious  di,. 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"You've  only  got  to  look  about  you,"  Wiltshire  went 
«n,  with  the  enthuiiasm  of  a  man  airing  hii  own  ideai, 
"to  see  that  Monte  Cario  is  the  great  dty  of  refuge  of 
our  time.  To  people  whose  outward  appearance 
warrants  the  green  ticket  of  admission,  the  reign  of 
liberty,  equality,  and  fraternity  has  set  in  as  nearly  as 
possible  on  earth.  Look  there!"  he  continued.  "That's 
the  Grand-Duke  Dmitri  standing  on  tiptoe  to  look 
over  the  shoulder  of  Aarons,  the  money-lender,  one  of 
the  greatest  rascals  unhung.  That  pretty  English 
giri,  asking  Aarons  to  place  her  stake  for  her,  wouldn't 
touch  him  anywhere  else  with  the  end  of  her  parasol. 
In  every  direction  you  can  see  the  same  flinging  to- 
gether of  odd  contrasts— the  same  suspension  of  the 
rules  that  govern  organized  socieqr  elsewhere." 

Paula  listened  and  smiled,  but  said  nothing  in  re- 
sponse, gazing  about  her  to  verify  his  observations  for 
herself. 

Against  a  background  of  tawdiy  splendor  the  great 
ladies  of  all  worlds  combined  to  produce  an  effect  of 
elegance.  There  was  a  place  for  Aspasia  and  Madame 
de  Stael  alike.  So,  too,  with  the  men;  great  lords,  great 
bankers,  and  great  adventurers  met  and  mingled  with 
the  unprejudiced  freedom  of  souls  in  the  future  state. 
Among  the  seated  players  the  card-sharper  elbowed 
the  countess,  and  the  fashionably  dressed  young  man 
of  the  worid  jostled  the  faded  grandmother  in  rusty 
crape.  It  was  clear  to  Paula  that  in  the  Temple  of 
Chance  there  was  no  respect  of  persons,  and  that  the 
worshippers  loved  to  have  it  so.  In  this  heated  at- 
5 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

mosphere  and  under  thete  riarin-  i,„i.^  • 
complex  civiUzation  ^^.  i     ^  T"'  "  ''«  «  if  a 
«n.tftue„t  element  7^^„  ''!?''"<'  ''"'^  '"'o  it, 
*o  the  primitive    o^dJ       "  '"'*  '^"""  '"=«  >»ck 

experienLhaduWKSorS  '^^  '^'"-  »"«' 


CHAPTER  II 


ON  the  outer  ring  of  spectaton  around  the  ubit 
in  the  centre  of  the  room,  they  pauied  to  look  on. 

"  Faius  vos  jeux,  mtsiieunt,"  the  cioupier  wai  *a}ring, 
in  a  voice  nasally  mechanical. 

Paula's  eyea  were  instantly  attracted  to  the  game. 
The  sight  of  Urge  sums  of  money  to  be  lost  and  won 
appealed,  by  some  hereditary  instinct,  to  her  imagina- 
tion. She  looked  at  the  players  facing  her,  and  saw 
them  enriched  or  impoverished  with  dramatic  sudden- 
ness. She  was  sure  the  giri  in  a  bright-red  hat,  with  a 
wide -meshed  blue  veil  making  unnatural  tints  on 
powder  and  rouge,  would  end  her  days  in  want.  The 
gray-bearded  old  man,  carefully  placing  a  five-franc 
piece  en  carri,  would  have  his  homeward  fare  paid  by 
the  authorities.  The  purse-lipped  woman,  in  shabby 
widow's  weeds,  working  ar  elaborate  system  all  over 
the  tableau,  would  win  a  lot  of  money.  The  good- 
looking  young  man,  smilingly  throwing  down  the 
maximum  suke  tn  plein,  would  be  ruined  and  would 
shoot  himself. 

"Rien  ne  va  plus,"  the  croupier  cried  again,  and  the 
players  drew  back  dieir  hands  to  await  the  result  of 
Fate. 


■^  GIANTS  STT^G-m 


"Your  father  hat  b— „  ^n  . 

P«"l«.  bw  ,he  only  „Xd  ,''."*  *'"'P««d  to 
heard.  '^  "*>«'•'•«»  »o  „g„ify  ,h„  ^^^  ^  » 

B.rhTr3;\rcs  Jr"-"  ••"•  ^^  «»- 

Jng  befo„  her  the  S  2""-    V» -hirhng 

«»k«J  on  a  chance  that  ke„,  iJlT^'  ^^V  wa. 
•'"ded  all  calcuUt^on  h''*'7°"'''"'°'^«'«««« 
««^ng.    She  wo„de«d  h Jthe^?*"'  I"^*.  ««« 

could  ga«  indifferently  aboThij!?;'  '^  *'  "^  »■« 
"""d.    She  Tfondered  Wt^e  I       '*^' '''"•' 'pun 

•""d  him.  She  wondered  '?f,,™"'P'""on  wanding  be- 
♦^em  >U  when  the  r^J^"  7"  «  *«  e^ect  'upon 
»'»cken  speed,  when  ^  b°S  It  ^'  '''l"'  '"8«  to 
»'»88e«d.  whirling  round  a "d t?1  •"''  '"^P'''  «d 
drunken  way.  till  ft  felJ.  « la«  J^if  .'"  "  '^'^'  '"". 
decisive  number.    The  wid^      '^  ««J«u«ed,  into  the 

;^y.a„dwithouta,hadIl^  ""  ^"  '^•'"  "^P* 
[ace  began  to  work  out  a  ^  „     ^T""  °"  ^''  «ony 

i«  put  down  another  bu"ron, he  ^'  ^'^  '°  ">«  «^ 
^e  last  had  diMppea^j     t^"  *,"/"«  spot  whence 

five-W  piece  ^"27%,]^'  ^  """  ""'"""  ''- 
had  played  en  ^ein  received  thP  .^"""^  ""■"  ^h" 
«'".«y-five  times^er.  *'  ^»'"«  "f  his  stake 

Paitts  vot   Muv 
»6».n.    He  wasT'storZ^'lt  -"P-  called 
conunonplace.  but   Paula    co"  Id  „>.  ^""^  -d 
}j  "™   "«P  investing 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

him   with    tome    of  the    inexorable    power   of  the 
Parcse, 

"You  Mem  intereited."  the  Duke  whi.pered.  be- 
hind  her. 

..,".^*''  •"'"""'°"'"  •he  returned,  over  her  .houlder.' 
It  .awful.     It',  a.  if  one  had  got  to  the  veiy  spring, 
of  all  happening,,  a,  if  one  were  in  touch  with  the 
power  that  ha,  made  the  world  and  flung  us.  hap- 
hazard, on  to  it."  "^ 
"Wiltshire,"  , aid  her  father,  ,lipping  into  the  crowd. 
be„de  them,  "the  Grand-Duke  want,  to  meet  you. 
raula,  dear,  you  can  wait  for  u,  here  a  minute.     We 
sha  n  t  be  long." 
"Very  well,  papa,  dear.    I  shall  be  all  right " 
She  wa,  not  sorry  to  have  them  go,  for  it  enabled  her 
to  give  herself  up  to  the  spectacle  of  the  game.    The 
wheel  was  twirled  again  and  again,  alway,  with  varia- 
tion, on  the  same  result.     It  gave  her  a  thrill  to  ue  the 
croupier  rake  the  poW  and  silver  in,  with  a  «,rt  of  lavish 
mdifference  to  its  value.    There  was  something  superb, 
too,  in  the  careless  ease  with  which  he  pushed  about  to 
the  succe«ful  players  the  variou,  mulriplication,  of 
their  «ake«.    As  each  winner  picked  up  his  gains  she 
regretted  that  she  had  not  put  down  a  louis  jS  where 
l!  ^^''"  c^"-     '^•"^  '^"dered  what  would  happen  if 
she  did     She  wondered  whether  the  obscureflLd 
power  that  was  throwing  destinies  about  would  have 
anything  in  store  for  her. 

up  and  down  the  table  to  see  exactly  what  the  others  did 


THE  OANTS  STRENCm 


Ju«  then  •  nun  ictom  the  table  ♦!.»«  j 
f"nc  piece  on  fair.    She  had!el„  ^"^  .''T»  «  «•"• 

I.  was  an  ea^rclui^on  .h.??*'^7'''"  •"  '»''  '««• 

.he  reahzed  what  .h'e  wai  ^./t  t™' '"'' ^'■°" 
wete  down.    The  wh«l  .„  5    .°^  *«"  f""** 

the  ball  clicked  andtal^S"  ';''  '^'"^'""^  'P^^' 

,J/».e  rake,  .tin."  .He  .hough':..,  .H^towrve 

.enS.t„d'rpfVt  If  r/"'  '""'  - 
central  pile.  Here  and  »K.  ^r  '"''  "'^''  '"'o  <">« 
left,  her'own  aX'"!  t"  bef  T'""'  "".''"  "'" 
found  two  gold  coi^  whe«  .h    K  a  """"*'  '«"  '»" 

She  picked  them  up  tU,"    f^  "T"  ""'• 
the  young  man     P^irhlTi    ^'    "''  '°°''«''  »<^«'»»  at 
for  him.    He  wa.  nri„l°?'  T'"'  ""''  *'«  '"«"  """r 

f-m  .light  inS"„rtK  r""'"'T'^'3: 

thought  wa.  that  it  ZTp^  7o^Cl,  ""  \"* 
money;  her  .econd.  that  the'^sTake  .hlh  d  '""'  ^'' 
practically  that  which  he  had  ?«'      1 1.  T  7* 

through  Vr  Xe  sL  ,^  " '""''  '"•"'*"  '°  l-"™ 
notio^thatlhf  h,d  taS:  tht  mo'n "f  "l!-  ""'""^^ 
.he  had  not  played  hetSt  ^^0°™  '""'  *'"'  ^^ 

hai/tu°X"";:>;t:/°Bu?'?'''  -"^ '°  ''-"^. 

6       go  away.    But  the  young  man  thiew^ 
10 


THE  GIA^f^S  STRENGTH 

down  another  ten-franc  piece  on  f<iir.  It  waa  an  op- 
portunity,  (he  thought,  for  him  to  recover  the  money 
the  had  uken  from  him.  It  waa  not  likely  that  (he 
would  win  again,  and  her  loaa  muit  of  necet(ity  be  hia 
gain.  Once  more  (he  put  her  «ake  down  on  impair, 
and,  with  eyei  fixed  on  it,  awaited  the  reault. 

Again  the  croupier  raked  the  gold  and  (ilver  in,  and 
the  young  man'(  stake  went  with  the  iwt.  Thi(  time 
the  very  coin  he  had  forfeited  wa(  pushed  across  the 
uble  to  her.  She  picked  it  up  and  slipped  it  into  her 
glove,  looking  over  at  him  to  see  what  he  would  do. 
If  he  (topped  he  would  (top;  if  he  went  on  (he  would 
give  him  the  chance  to  win  hi(  money  back.  She  was 
sure  it  was  his  money,  and  she  felt  some  humiliation  in 
going  home  with  twenty  francs  chat  belonged  to  a 
passing  stranger.  Unconsciously  to  herself  her  in- 
terest was  the  more  sincere  because  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  uU  and  good-looking.  "Certainly  a  gentleman," 
she  commented,  "and  with  such  a  striking  face." 

For  an  instant  he  seemed  to  hesitate;  then  his  bit  of 
gold  fell  on  pair.  A  second  later  Paula'a  fell  on  irrt- 
pair.  The  result  was  the  same  as  before;  it  was  so  the 
next  time  and  the  next.  On  the  nixth  spin  pair  won 
and  impo'T  Inet,  but  with  the  seventh  impair's  run  of 
luck  beg.n  again.  Paula  felt  herself  gior  ing  des- 
perate. The  palm  of  her  left-hand  gl' ,e  seemed 
bursting  with  gold,  but  in  honor  towards  the  poor 
young  man  she  could  not  stop  till  he  did.  She  did  not 
reason  that  he  could  win  back  his  money  from  the 
bank;  she  thought  it  must  be  from  her.  Of  one  thing 
II 


^  GIANrs  STRENGTH 


>he  was  eladlie  l,,j 

;.^^^er  dUt'  "sJeTourThe^r  "'  f  °'  ^''-'^ 
'"th  her  money  i„  her  ha„T'  *™"'  'oot  at  him 
^hM  he  th«w  hk         ""'''  '*"'J' '°  rf^ow  her  sJte' 

w  '/sti'Tatr;  ctf;fc  r  -"-«»'»-.  of 

.•"g-  The  giri  i/the  blul  ^.r  ^^^7  »  «"■"«  black 
fo"-'  mstead  of  one.  gesricufa  irV''^"^  '"'''  ^o 
C'x.up.er  as  to  where  th^Hildh  7  °'^'"  '"  "^^ 
^I'o  had  put  hi,  stakr^  it  ''''"•'•  The  lad 
rA«,a/.  *"  /""«  was  now  playing  it  i 

'Rim  neva  plus/" 

£3jThrd^,;^tth^^^^^ 

Jntly  lost  all  he  could  3  tl"-    "'  ^''^  «-- 

--^ventheS-oT^l-S 

'leSde''!,!:*  t  tr  °^«°"^.  ^ell  heavily  « 
'h-g  he  possessed  and  wotrdt"!:  """"  '"'' '°«  -«'^- 
«  she  understood  ruined  "Im  ""'"  '°  '"^^^  hi.  lift, 
Jad  a  wild  thought  of  aslfn!'t':S'""y  were.  She' 
h-m  to  take  his  money  back  Jf,  [  ^"'  '°  «°  »"<>  beg 
dered.  apparently  b/acSnTt  f  «>7™ -yes  wan! 
f"ct,on  of  a  second  the"  I'nl'  ^"^'^'°"-    For  a 

"'^  ''°'^^"  ^^^'--•°--  ^-  ^i-e  Duke  Of 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Wiltshire,  as  he  pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd 
to  take  his  place  again  at  her  side. 

"Have  you  been  crying  ?— or  playing  ?■— or  what  ?" 
he  demanded,  when  he  was  near  enough  to  speak. 
For  the  first  time  in  their  acquaintance  he  assumed  a 
tone  of  authority. 

"I  haven't  been  crying,"  she  said,  hurriedly.  "I've 
been  playing,  and  I've  won  a  lot  of  money.  I  don't 
quite  know  what  to  do  with  it." 

"So  hoi"  he  laughed.  "That's  what  you  do  when 
your  father's  back  is  turned  1" 

"I  sha'n't  do  it  again,"  she  said,  in  some  confusion, 
as  she  moved  out  of  the  ring  immediately  around  the 
table.  "  You  see  it  was  this  way.  I  played  against  that 
tall  young  man  over  there.  Don't  look  now  because 
he'll  notice  it.  That  is,  whatever  he  did  on  on-  side 
of  the  table  I  did  on  the  other,  and  he  always  lost  and 
I  always  won.  I'm  so  soriy.  He  didn't  look  as  if 
he  could  aflFord  to  lose— and  he  didn't  keep  on." 
"What  young  man  do  you  mean  ?  I  don't  see  him." 
"He's  tall,  and  well  set-up,  with  a  pointed  brown 
beard  and  rather  gleaming  eyes.  No;  he's  gone,"  she 
added,  stealing  a  glance  to  where  he  had  been  standing. 
"Ah,  there  I.e  is  now,  coming  round  the  table.  He's 
coming  this  way.  Don't  look;  he'll  know  I've  been 
speaking  of  him.  Come  away.  There's  papa.  Let 
us  go  to  him." 

But  it  was  too  late.    The  unknown  young  man  and 
the  Duke  were  already  shaking  hands,  with  the  cord- 
iality of  long-standing  friendship.    Paula  tried  to  slip 
«3 


^  GIANTS  STRENCTH 


«o  far  from  the  Duke  ^^''^"  ^f^'^on.  whiJe  „« 
""^»rks  between  h,„,  Tnd  tT. T  *''""«  •<»"«  °f  th^ 
Through  the  hum  rfl„    """««'• 

"e  different  some  dav     Y„  1  •    ^-     ^"^aps  «  ^^uld 
customed  to  her  Kl-  j  '  '""  """her  was  „.  ■ 

Rome      H«  L        ,  ""o.  just  to  breat  tU^  •       '  V 

thoS  h?  ha?      V°  '■^^^  '°-^^^inVr"'%^""^ 
gn  He  had  nothiW  rea^.,  ,    ^  ""«  "ext  Salon 

a^r  -ere  passing  thrfuS  trif  J''""'^'  ''  ^ady 
f^"^etSr-f-|awasafra.-dof.     WouM 

--— a.wh;h2sSt:Si:^ 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

away  from  the  table  ?    Of  the  reply  she  caught  only  the 
end  of  the  sentence — ^"and  you  must  know  her." 

She  felt  herself  flushing  with  embarrassment,  but 
as  the  Duke  approached  she  knew  the  only  dignified 
thing  to  do  was  to  turn  and  greet  him  plea  intly. 

"Miss  Trafford,"  he  sriid,  with  the  awkward  air  he 
always  had  at  such  mo...ents,  "I  want  you  to  know  a 
very  old  friend  of  ours,  Mr.  Roger  Winship." 

"Mr.  Winship's  face,"  she  laughed,  "is  perfectly 
familiar  to  me.  I've  been  watching  him  from  the  other 
side  of  the  roulette-table  for  nearly  half  an  hour." 

"And  you  saw  the  ill-will  of  the  gods  against  me,"  he 
returned,  easily.  "  But  I  had  the  gratification  of  know- 
ing that  I  couldn't  lose  unless  you  won.  That  was 
something." 

"Haven't  we  met  before  ?"  she  asked,  with  a  hurried 
change  of  topic. 
"No;  never." 

The  quick  decisiveness  of  tone  as  well  as  the  curious 
gleam  of  his  eyes,  in  speaking  the  brief  words,  were 
details  she  remembered  afterwards. 

And  yet,"  she  persisted,  "your  name  is  very  vrell 
known  to  me.    I've  heard  it  often." 

"That  isn't  impossible,"  he  admitted,  with  a  forced 
smile,  "though  you  must  have  been  very  young." 

"I  know  I've  heard  of  a  Roger  Winship,"  she  con- 
tmued,  as  if  searching  in  her  memory.  "It  must  have 
been  my  father — " 

"Probably,"  he  interrupted;  "but  it  was  so  long 
ago—" 

15 


IWE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


(! 


that?"  "^"*  >'°"  8o>ng  to  tay 

j_,,    g  1   dont   suppose  that   either  you  or 

""k  or  two.  and  after  a  f«l  f     u     '  '"  """•  »  «" 

"Si'^^irdrtfj^-^v"?^^^^^^ 

money  to  which  I  felt  .n  ,      "  '  S>^'  '"  '^'""V 

,    one  pursuea,  with  some  hesitan'nn   ••  r 
I  ^»  right  m  fancying  that  he  il'S"'        """"' 

and°if^.t'crt  ;j;;"'-f  ""■■-" 

and  his  sister  when  .h!  T  l  •   •         ^  '°  '^""^  him 
art  in  Paris     Sh.K  •      T''  "  ""'"  ^"  ^^^  *»  «udy 

the  p«,r  old  lL„  ^'^'"^'"^e^'  °^.  at  least  she  did  till 

feiiorH^^s  fui^o!^eara„'?t  '  f  S  *''  ^""^ 
talks  together."  '  ^  ""^  ''^'^  *°'"=  J°"y 

on' ai' Sre'i'T  r'tr'""  '  ereat  authorig. 
rt     JJoesshethmkthisMi.Winship-r 

s:Sn:tidf:o!^;;^'''^-"'''--hap,a«':: 

i6 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"Then,  what  ihall  I  do  with  the  money?"  Paula 

said  again. 
"What  can  you  do  but  give  it  away  or  spend  it?" 
"I  can  keep  it,"  she  returned,  thoughtfully.    "I 

may  find  a  way  of  getting  him  to  take  it  back." 


CHAPTER  III 

ar^-cha.  ,„d  stretched  his  le^'beforeThe  fit       '" 

heardX    "^  ^r^W'"^'"?."  Paula  rephed.     "I've 
heard  the  name  to-mgh,  and  I  seen,  to  have  knoJn't 

tJZ.  °"  ""*  '''  "  '"PP'"'"  ""«=  f«"«  Mr,. 
I  m  surprised  at  the  Dnte      I.'. 

and »  ti, ,,.   ^p--  ^^^^ 

serene  safsfacuon  of  seeing  all  her  dreams  fulfil  led 
The  daughter  of  a  New  England  coal  merchant  her 

18 


l-___ 


THE  GIANTS  STTRENGTH 

modest  fortune  had  been  the  foundation  on  which  the 
colossal  Coal  Trust  had  been  built  up.  It  was  to  her 
credit  to  have  married  a  poor  man,  certain  that  a  great 
industrial  empire  awaited  him.  She  had  married  for 
love,  against  the  wishes  of  her  family,  but  her  love  had 
been  based  on  admiration.  Her  husband  and  she  had 
passed  through  good  years  and  evil  years,  had  lived 
sparingly,  had  watched  and  planned  and  combined, 
and  made  their  business  march  with  the  march  of  the 
country.  She  had  seen  him  rise,  with  the  swiftness  and 
sureness  of  a  Bonaparte,  to  the  highest  financial  posi- 
tion, first  in  Vermont,  then  in  New  England,  then  in 
America,  then  in  the  worid.  Before  he  was  sixty  or 
she  was  fifty,  TrafFord  was  a  name  to  go  with  Roths- 
child. It  was  a  name  that  meant  not  only  the  pov.er 
of  money,  but  the  power  of  power^-the  success  of  those 
who  threw  in  their  destinies  with  it,  and  the  ruin  of 
those  who  opposed  it. 

During  the  years  in  which  the  great  trust  was  being 
organized  and  maintained,  the  Traffords  had  lived  in 
an  atmosphere  of  battle.  There  were  suits  in  the  law 
courts,  appeals  to  supreme  courts.  State  legislatures  to 
be  managed.  Congress  to  be  appeased,  foreign  trade- 
marts  to  be  invaded,  and  small  competitors  to  be  crush- 
ed out  at  home.  It  had  been  exciting,  and  often 
dramatic;  but  as  middle-age  drew  on  and  most  of  the 
ends  had  been  gained,  it  was  pleasant  to  settle  down 
and  enjoy  the  hardly  won  laurels  in  peace.  George 
Trafford,  whose  late  father,  Andrew  TrafiFord,  had 
shared  the  family  elevation,  was  equal  now  to  uking 
19 


"^  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


^  unde'«  place  in  ■_ 

Tnrfbrj^„,e,^,j    °f.  «  w..  „«„„,  that  Mr,* 
•he  could  b«athe  «„«  f^''  '  P''«  °f -Me  whe„ 
«h«  the  enticement,  of  fasW™     J  T*  "°*  ''«  n«ural 
»»  the  need,  of  M,^  T^ff  ^I'i^"'  ''«'»>".  „  Z 

/"^d  had  already  «ne  ."f /^'  "•«  "'ght.    Mr.  Traf! 
George,  beating  bac^  a  vH"'  T""'"*-  «d  M™ 

•«  by  »  f-ndow  from  which   l!  h'?  '^°'"  '^'  «^«'"°. 
^"ct- .  Unde,  the  starhX   t  ]"^  P""'^  'he  curtain 
"f'^^ng  he«  and  there  1,      "  «'"'""'  d^kily 
f hored  in  the  t.^  barivh  J'"''''  °^  "■«  y=>chts  an^' 
;;;6j.ne  down  'he  sLwaft  t^' n" '"" '°"«' ^'-^ 


THE  GIANTS  OTRENGTH 

of  Monaco,  looming,  high  and  ancient,  against  the 
sky. 

"The  Duke  couldn't  help  introducing  him  to  me," 
Paula  explained,  in  answer  to  her  mother's  objections. 
"  I  was  standing  near,  and  he  asked  who  I  was.  Be- 
sides, we'd  noticed  each  other  before  that." 

"Noticed  each  other?"  Mis.  George  queried,  with 
just  the  glimmer  of  a  smile. 

"In  the  Casino  at  Monte  Carlo,''  George  Trafford 
began,  "strange  ladies  don't  notice  strange  gentlemen 
unless — " 

"It  was  this  way,"  Paula  hastened  to  say.  "I'd 
won  a  lot  of  money  from  him — " 

"You'd— what  ?"  Mrs.  Trafford  gasped.  'You  don't 
mean  to  say  you  played  in  that  dreadful  place  i" 

"  I  didn't  play  exactly.  I  just  put  down  ten  francs 
on  a  soit  of  square  to  see  what  would  happen." 

"Wdir 

"Well,  he  had  ten  francs  on  the  corresponding 
square  on  the  opposite  side,  and  he  lost  and  I 
won." 

"That  wasn't  winning  from  him,"  George  Trafford 
correaed;  "it  was  winning  fron:  the  bank." 

"It  seemed  like  winning  from  him,"  Paula  insisted. 

"Was  that  all  ?"  the  mother  inquired,  anxiously. 

"No.  We  went  on — six  or  seven  times.  He  lost 
every  time  but  one.     I've  brought  home  all  this  I" 

She  pulled  off  her  glove  and  let  the  gold  pieces  slip 
from  her  palm  on  to  the  nearest  table.  They  lay  about 
separately,  like  stars.     Mrs.  Trafford  and  Mrs.  George 


T^IE  GLWrs  STRENGTH 


Ml  leaned  forward  to  «»■  <T^      ^    -. 

head  to  look  mtZ,^^^[«'  ^rafford  tun,ed  hi, 

franc  inS^^Sn;;.^"-  ^"'^°'''  runted-"  f5f«, 
« J  "*"»  '*  "»n  t  veijr  much  "  ^ 

l»e.Geo,ge?"    """'*"^" ''« ''""'t  well  off.    Who  i. 

^ordlgi:;  s.;."^'  ^-"■•p''  —"  ceo^^  ^ 
-c? «;  ttei"rpS;;°^r.'r '-  "'■-'•  »• 

»o«ne  connection,  with  m."  ""'>'  '"''  '"'» 

8.e:^'oft"]dti:e;^-/"r  "^"''  -^^  - 

"Not  «,^i    "  ',""*»  w  conflict. 
i«  he  ?"  '"'""' «°  '"'ow  his  name.   Who 

■•»*':.?ii^?a;,rtjt:e°.fr  ^-f-''  -« »". 

twenty  yea„  ago.  had  the  f^lM      .'  T  °^'^'  "«"  ''ho. 
And  what  then  f" 

His  son  was  ruined,"  Paula  TL  j     ".''»«- 
mother  hesitate.  finished,  seeing  her 

•d."p';;4"'°"'  """'  """S  •'  ^*-  Trafford  correct- 


22 


THE  GL\NTS  STRENGTH 


"Wu  ihe  ruined  by — by  ui?"  Paula  continued,  a 
little  tremulouily. 

"No,  by  herself,"  George  Trafford  replied,  promptly. 

He  pulled  himiclf  up  in  hit  cliair  and  (poke  with 
emphasit.  You  could  see  that  it  was  one  dT  the  (ub- 
jects  that  kindled  him  into  interot  by  the  way  in 
which  hii  eyes  awoke  from  their  blue  benignity  to  dart 
out  a  ray  like  steel.  It  was  then  that  you  realized  in 
him  the  presence  of  the  new  type — the  essentially  mod- 
em and  chiefly  American  type — the  son  of  the  hugely 
wealthy,  self-made  man;  the  son  to  whom  has  passed 
the  blood  of  a  peasant  with  the  power  of  a  prince,  and 
a  command  of  means  far  in  excess  of  anything  he  knows 
how  to  use.  As  Traflford  dragged  his  heavy  figure  into 
an  upright  posture  in  his  chair,  his  large  jaw  set,  his 
head  thrown  back,  and  his  keen  eyes  flashing,  there  was 
the  implicarion  that  he  could  do  what  Paul  Trafford 
himself  had  done  if  there  were  need  to  begin  the  work 
again.  But  his  was  another  duty — the  duty  of  the 
second  generation  to  keep  what  had  been  won.  It  was 
a  task  consistent  with  a  large-handed,  easy  mode  of 
life,  with  leisure  for  a  certain  sort  of  simple  cultivation, 
with  praiseworthy,  philanthropic  undertaking,  and 
with  interest  in  everything  that  made  for  the  general 
public  good.  The  least  competent  judge  of  character 
could  read  in  George  Traflxird's  rather  ponderous, 
clean-shaven  face  the  presence  of  the  loyal,  honest  citi- 
zen, who  would  have  straightforward,  sensible  views 
on  every  subject,  from  ward  politics  to  the  nude  in  art. 
It  was  not  an  aristocratic  face;  its  features,  excellent  in 
23 


TWE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


line.  »f  d,e  'noT^ni  ^ZtiZ^lT"  **«  ''"'' 
too  aggrcMive  chin:  bu,  ?„,!..         "'?  ''"^«  ^'"'ed  'h* 

of  power  coupled  wiTaKf  1  r*'  '"''  "  ""- 
ediy  that  look  of  kindnl^  „  "V'"*""*'-  ""'''"""- 
Werebluee.e.w.rhblXhTlik:!''''  '^"p  """^ 
only  .mailer  and  more  deeFly"«  i^/""""  ^'""»'«. 
about  with  a  rort  of  .«rk-  .       *""  ""«««• 

politic.  bLne...  o  AmenV  '  nT  """•"  '"P'-^  "^ 
Maze.  Agood  man  wa^X  ?""?""  ""de  ,hem 
York  regard  ^'ZtX7"'"'1  °'"'"°"  '"  ^ew 
be  found  in  theSnl^f  '  "  '"^  """' "  •"^"  '» 
the  common  wearbr  ma7wr""'?.' '°  '"'P  °" 
money,  wa.  of  Paul  TrTffr^j"  '  '"  '"  "»«*"  of 
"She   ruined   heietf^h'*  ""  T^  '"'^  ^'°°'^ 

Vction  tha»  .he  couldTZ  v  r  f  ""  '"•»"«  ™"- 
She  wa.n't  .he  onfywS/r  """  ""'  *««  •""'• 
other  kept  at  it  so  do^^  "  "S°/^"  "«','>  't.  but  no 
was^o^hoice  at  .3t  b^^^dulfhtCt  *«  «"- 

for .ympathT;nthrfaI"f«''h"'''^"'''' "''■«''-'=''' 
got  .t-Lre'-s  no  den^ng  at  Tw' """""V^  "'^ 
J"«.ces  that  was  done^ur  father  aL  t"V[""  '""- 
ways  so  ready  to  forgive  "  ''''"''  •"=  "  "'■ 

'    ""*  P"P"  fought  with-women." 
24 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"There  ate  no  women  in  biuineM,"  Mn.  George 
Traffotd  observed,  in  her  clear,  cold  way;  "there  are 
only  competitor*." 

"Your  father  never  fighti  with  any  one,"  George 
TraSbrd  cried,  forcibly.  "It  ii  other*  who  fight  with 
him.  They  won't  let  him  alone.  Hi*  lucceii  i*  what 
they  can't  pardon,  and  the  leu  lo  when  they  compare 
it  with  their  own  failure.  There'*  never  been  a  man 
who  ha*  tried  harder  than  your  father  to  do  good  to 
other*,  and  there'*  never  been  one  who  ha*  had  more 
harm  done  to  him." 

In  hi*  tone  there  wa*  a  mingling  of  pride  and  in- 
dignation. Mr*.  Trafford  rai*ed  her  lace  handkerchief 
to  her  eye*.  Even  Mr*.  George  Trafford,  who  had 
only  a  connection  by  affinity  with  the  great  financier, 
threw  up  her  head  with  admiration  when  the  trun;pet 
was  blown  in  hi*  praise. 

Paula  herself  felt  a  strange  oppreuion  about  the 
heart.  Like  the  rest  of  the  Trafford*  she  had  set  up  the 
man  who  had  made  them  what  they  were  as  a  kind  of 
demigod.  She  had  done  more  than  the  rest  of  them; 
for,  into  the  worship  they  all  accorded  him,  she  had  in- 
fused a  self-devotion  of  which  she  alone  was  capable. 
As  the  youngest  of  the  family  it  was  she  who  had  known 
him  least  as  a  man  of  business  and  most  as  a  man  of 
the  world.  In  all  her  recollection  of  him  he  had  never 
been  anything  but  the  great  personage  whose  goings 
and  comings  were  as  important  as  those  of  kings. 
During  his  later  years,  when  the  immensity  of  his 
affairs  obliged  him  to  travel  much,  she  was  his  frequent 

»  25 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


his  early  educatbn    bu't  ^  '""'^  "^  *'  S^P'  « 

thanasfhefi„a„2por„ut  XhadT  ''T  "'''"^''^ 
to  look  to  him  for  advice  a^dSh  ?"!'"' '''"^'"'" 
and  who  could  buy  aT«V        u      *"  ^°'  ''«"'='"»«-ons. 

To  be  the  daugLrSul         ""1^°°'^  ^"""S''- 
kind  of  royalty-the'vair  f  '  """  '''"'  ^ven  her  a 
went   the/  wL'tTd^  hTL  f""'^"  *'^ 
scarcely  less  deferential  than  if  thevTU      '°"'    "^«' 
tl'e  line  of  Charlemaene     r  ^      ''  'P'""^  from 

racies  did  them  hTnnf     ^*^°^^"""«"«  and  aristoc- 

on  a  foot.ng?„i;''2\r"r  ""'^'''  ♦he- 

republics  and  deTocJi  thfv'b  1  ^T'"^'  ^  f- 
ford  at  first  as  ih^ZeZJ  ^,/  ''/''"^  P""'  Traf- 
best-the  man  S  ^rall  b/"'""  "  ^''^'^  "'^ 
vastness  of  power  and  rr  j  ^""'"^ '^°"''' "»« '» 
-rely  in  su^pT^Ltvi^'butTnT  f  T"'  "°* 
building  churches.  endowS  sea  s  "f  I  ' "^  ^°'^'''^' 
ing  a  name  that  time  codd  L,l  "'^ ''""'"&  '""'  '^''V- 
strange  that  Paula  LT„         u^  ^"'''"ate.     It  was  not 

charaL.  shouU  'JHim  m'^  ""r"  °'^°  «""«  » 
For  this  very  reasoT^^  "l""  ""'''  "f^"-'""- 

-med  to  VZ  aTSr  ToT?  '-"[^"^ 
woman!    To  dub  her  downl    Tb  ^^'"  '""'  " 

business,  only  competitors?  m^;;"  "°  "°'»'="  « 
a  few  minutes  she  kept  sTlence  ^  "  *"""  ^  ^"^ 
words.  She  looked  s^liKV''""^'""^  ^"  *^°"""'» 
ing  in  her  Celtic  eytsXe.'S'?'''  """'''^  ^'°"<'- 
deepening  betw  J^e Irot  """^  "'P''^'^"'^ 

36 


THE  GIANTS  STRENCTil 

"Did  Mrs.  Winship— ?"  she  b"^ar,  with  5  ,iie 
hesitation. 

"For  mercy's  sake,  Paula,"  Mrs.  Trafford  ex- 
claimed, hastily,  "don't  get  those  Winships  on  the 
brain!  I  thought  they  were  dead  and  buried  long  ago, 
and,  dear  knows,  they've  given  us  trouble  enough." 

"Let  her  go  6n,  Aunt  Julia,"  George  Trafford  rea- 
soned, calmly.  "Since  the  subject  has  come  up,  she'd 
better  know  it  just  as  it  is." 

"I  was  going  to  ask,"  Paula  said,  with  dignity,  "if 
Mrs.  Winship  thought  that  papa  had  done  her  wrong." 

"Most  people  think  you  do  them  wrong  if  you  do 
things  better  than  they  can,"  Trafford  answered, 
quickly.  "There's  no  kind  of  business,  from  the  stage 
to  the  church,  in  which  the  strong  worker  isn't  held  as 
an  enemy  by  the  feeble  and  the  indifferent.  That's 
inseparable  from  human  nature,  and  your  father  has 
had  to  face  it.  The  hostihty  he  has  encountered  has 
been  in  proportion  to  his  success;  so,  naturally,  it's 
been  colossal." 

"And  I've  never  known  him  to  utter  a  harsh  word," 
Mrs.  Trafford  observed,  quaveringly.  "As  each  new 
attack  has  arisen,  he  has  faced  about  to  crush  it.  When 
that's  been  done  he  has  given  it  no  more  thought — if 
it  hasn't  been  to  help  those  he  has  beaten.  Where  he 
has  seen  people  with  ability  he  has  often  taken  them 
into  his  own  employment;  and  there  are  plenty  of 
wealthy  men  to-day  who  can  tell  you  that  their  fortunes 
were  made  when  your  father  singled  them  out  as  clever 
opponents.  There's  Henry  Desmond,  for  instance, 
»7 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

who  was  only  an  obscure  young  lawyer  at  Utica  until 
he  gained  the  McTavish  case  against  us.  From  that 
very  moment  your  father  kept  his  eye  on  him,  and  when 
the  Brewer  action  was  brought  in  Albany  he  put  the 
whole  case  in  Desmond's  hand.  That  made  Des- 
mond what  he  is;  and  there  are  hundreds  of  others  of 
whom  the  same  thing  is  true.  Your  father  has  the 
most  wonderful  way  of  converting  enemies  into  friends. 
It's  a  sort  of  art  of  his.  I've  never  heard  of  it  anywhere 
else— unless  it  was  in  Maty  Queen  of  Scots." 

"Couldn't  he  have  done  that  with  the  Winships?" 
Paula  asked,  returning  to  the  personal  point. 

"In  business,"  TrafFord  explained,  swinging  him- 
self round  so  as  to  lean  over  the  arm  of  his  chair,  and 
speaking  for  Paula's  benefit— "in  business,  most  men, 
when  they  can't  get  best,  will  turn  themselves  about  so 
as  to  put  up  with  second-best.     They  will  even  accept 
third-best  and  fourth-best  rather  than  go  with  no  ad- 
vantage whatever.     But  every  now  and  then  you  meet 
some  one  with  whom  it  must  be  all  or  nothing.    They'll 
not  bargain,  or  compromise,  or  meet  you  half-way,  or 
resort  to  any  of  the  shifts  with  which  business  men  have 
often  to  be  content.     They'll  fight  you  to  the  bitter  end, 
and  die  before  they  yield.     In  fact,  they're  people  with 
the  fighting  rather  than  the  business  instinct,  and  when 
you  meet  them  they  leave  you  no  choice  but  to  crush 
them  out  of  your  way." 

"Were  the  Winships  like  that?" 
"Yes,  they  were.     They  were  like  that,  only  worse. 
You  could  no  more  beat  modem  methods  into  old  Roeer 
28  ^ 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


Winship's  mind  than  you  could  into  a  mountain  of 
brass.  Because  he  was  the  largest  owner  of  coal-lands 
in  New  Hampshire,  he  looked  upon  himself  as  a  sort 
of  ruler  by  divine  right.  For  nearly  thirty  years  he  had 
operated  the  Devlin  Mines — " 

"But  they're  ours  I"  Paula  exclaimed. 

"Now — yes,"  Trafford  assented,  with  a  short  laugh. 
"But  when  your  father  first  cast  his  eyes  on  them  the 
Devlin  Coal  Company  was  practically  old  Roger  Win- 
ship.  He  worked  the  mines  and  sold  the  coal,  in  a 
humdrum,  provincial,  old-fashioned  way,  and  made  a 
handsome  income.  Then  came  your  father — with  new 
ideas,  big  ideas,  and  victory  behind  him  all  along  the 
Une." 

"But  papa  didn't  want  to  take  the  Devlin  Mines 
from  Mr.  Winship  ?" 

"No;  not  at  all.  He  was  only  developing  the  plan 
with  which  he  had  begun — that  he  should  control  the 
entire  output  and  sale  of  coal  in  the  sphere  under  his 
immediate  influence.  As  you  know,  that  sphere  ex- 
panded as  he  went  on,  like  a  growing  empire.  At  first, 
when  he  was  a  young  man,  he  thought  of  coal  produc- 
tion only  within  the  State  of  Vermont  —  didn't  he, 
aunt?" 

"He  spoke  only  of  that,"  Mrs.  Trafford  corrected. 
"His  thoughts  from  the  beginning  were  as  vast  as  his 
business  afterwards  came  to  be." 

"At  any  rate,"  George  Trafford  continued,  "he 
began  with  Vermont,  quietly  and,  as  we  should  think 
nowadays,  very  modestly.  And  yet,  so  complete  was 
29 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


III 


minrd  or  sold  fra^^'"d?  T IV  '  ''"''"'  "^  ~»' 

that  was„.  u„rhis^r.%rs,'^Kr"^  ""• 

session  of  every  imDorran*  -„  .     '"°  6°'  P°s- 

cu«o„e,  greTtT„rsr„°Xr'"""'=i-'^ 
fight,  he  pushed  him  out  of  the  marked  hI  .'.T' 
agents  evervwh»~_„„.      .    ■       """^et.     He  had  his 

office.  ThTiw"rr''r7'y'°^''«""«veo. 

state  of  which  hrdMn't\'f  °^'°='' '''«  ""^'^d  the 
the  destinSn''  tf  •  wa^^^  £  T' '^'  *''=  -lue.  and 
it  and  offered  the  dell^a  Lt  '  T"''  "'"'  ''ft" 
"te.  If  the  dealer  tLedL'Th'^  ''  '  '^'"P"^ 
customers  and  cut  the  nn>  l      ^'^  '"'"'  *°  his 

nose.  In  five  yea  J  '  "^  t  "^'"  """^'^  ""^  «^«='J«'s 
mercha„"i„  VeS,tr  u  ""  P""'-"^  -t  a 
hadn't  houghtir?Z;tti:^V-°^---f  he 

"WeVe^omirgTo  /h"  t  r^trd  ""^  ^"■"'"'''• 
ticallr.  "It  wasn't  natu^alTraf"  k""'"'  °"'  '""'"'"■='»- 
had  come  to  be  should  «„  u  I"'"''"'  *"^h  as  his 
It  spilled  over  on  ev  i"L'  ""'="'  t'  '''"''^  "^  "  ""t- 
chusetts.  Penns/va„Ta\'r'MiddI%'''"  ''°^'^'  ^=-='- 
It  crossed  the  whok  c^unti!^  Itf  T'lf^'^'''^'^- 
out  the  easier  it  see^^A^^l  ^"^'''  *''=  "«  ^^t 
system  was  so  peS  tat"  tt"^"  '''"''"  "'"•  His 
itself.    In  realit^  ht       u  7^  '^'"«  ''«'"«''  ^  go  of 

.o«a.o„h,  rebates  f-IrttXXeTm- 
30 


THE  QANTS  STRENGTH 

ship  lines-rebates  allowed  to  him  and  refused  to  others- 
then  to  sweep  out  competition  by  annexing  rival  com- 
panies; and  lastly  to  keep  up  prices  by  limiting  the 
supply  Jf  an  mdcpendent  company  refused  to  yield 
to  h.s  demands,  then  he  laid  siege  to  it-siege  as  reg- 
ular, as  thorough,  as  patient,  and  as  systematic  as 
that  of  a  fortress.  He  invested  it,  so  to  speak,  by  sea 
and  land.  He  cut  off  its  means  of  transportation  by 
prohibitive  rates  and  its  customers  by  low  prices.  If 
there  was  litigation,  he  was  almost  invariably  victorious 
in  the  end  the  rebellious  company  did  one  of  two 
things-it  capitulated  and  came  in,  or  it  went  bank- 
rupt and  Uncle  Paul  bought  it." 

Trafford  threw  back  his  great  head,  with  a  sense  of 
exultation  in  so  much  industrial  triumph.  Mrs  Traf- 
ford sighed  softly  as  she  recalled  the  old  days  of  ac- 
tion. Paula  sat  quite  still,  her  eyes  fixed  upon  her 
cousin  with  a  sort  of  astonished  fascination,  as  her 
mmd  tried  to  comprehend  these  strange— these  brutal 
— mystenes  of  business. 

"You  ought  to  say,  George,"  young  Mrs.  Trafford 
suited,  that  your  uncle  never  struck  until  he  had 
made  the  most  generous  proposals." 

'That's  true,  Laura,"  her  husband  agreed  " Paula 
should  understand  that;  and  the  Winships  make  an 
excellent  illustration.  The  Devlin  Company"  he 
pursued,  in  a  tone  of  narrative,  "had  already  been 
pretty  hard  hit  by  us  before  your  father  began  to  give 
them  open  attention.  Of  course,  he'd  known  for  years 
what  he  was  going  to  do  with  them,  but  he's  never  one 
3« 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


h 


plant,  and  all  tLro^fn  lr"2  ^""'  "^^  •"'"-'  *' 
thousand  dollars  a„7  h.^r  'bat"   ThaV"  '"'  '"  '"^"^ 

quantity,  a„dt^^urn  utdl  "p"",  "'P""  '°  ="  e'^«" 
profit  over  fifty  thousand  was  to  go  to  him.'^"''  "^^ 
co^^Zr"""'  '  ""  "'"  y-"g  M„.  Trafford 
a  Io«'irgh':^°''"'""^-''«."TrafFotd  said,  with 

"Why?"   he   echoed.     "Because   tl,™,.      l 


THE  GIANTTS  STRENGTH 

had  no  notion  of  progress,  or  energy,  or  real  competi- 
tion. Your  father  liad  begun  to  eat  the  heart  out  of 
their  trade  before  they  ever  heard  of  him.  By  the  time 
they  began  to  wake  up  they  were  as  good  as  ruined  al- 
ready. Your  father  knew  it  but  they  didn't.  When 
they  took  m  the  fatt  they  threatened  him  with  all  the 
ngor  of  the  law." 

"Only,"  Mrs.  Trafford  added,  "they  went  beyond  the 
limits  of  propriety.    They  said  your  father  was  no  better 
than  a  common  thie— well,  no,  1  won't  say  it.    He  him- 
self is  the  last  to  bear  malice,  and  an  example  to  us  all." 
At  any   rate,"   George   Trafford   pursued,   "your 
father  stepped  in  just  then  with  his  offer.    He  was 
always  for  peace  and  fair-dealing,  and  he  knew  the 
psychological  moment  had  come.    He  knew,  too,  just 
how  It  would  be  taken,  and  laid  out  his  plan  of  a«ion 
for  five  or  six  years  ahead.    If  the  Devlin  hadn't  been  a 
sort  of  family  company,  with  all  the  shares  in  a  few 
hands,  they  would  probably  have  come  in  after  the  first 
storm  of  threats  had  blown  over.     A  body  of    shaie- 
holders  are  generally  ready  in  the  long  run   to  eat 
humble-pie  if  their  dividends  are  assured  them.     But 
you  see,  the  Devlin  was  practically  Roger  Winship,  a 
proud,  stubborn,  high-tempered  old  fellow  of  a  by-gone 
school.    As  hereditaiy  coal  king  of  New  Hampshire, 
he  felt  himself  a  match  for  any  mushroom  Trafford, 
and  so  he  set  to  work." 

"Very  cleverly,  it  must  be  admitted,"  Mis.  Trafford 
observed.    "Your  father  always   says   that   he  went 
straight  for  the  weak  point  of  the  whole  system." 
33 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


wlTjLl"; •;;  J'«"r'  "'"'  "»•  "Unci. 

point."  ""''''"  '  ''°'''  «"«  beyond  a  certain 

It  was  a  matr    f";  ' ,     Tlfi  rH^''"  ^  -"''"•'• 
fought  out  and  settM      Q       l       °  ''"'"  ''"  1"«''on 

Cenlal  refused  I  winsLihe"  ""  ""^^  "^ P^'"- 
portation  as  thev  h^A     ■  f'™  "''*  f"'  *""«- 

C^mpanVthe  DevS,  ,^ru'°  *'''  ^"'"°'«  fining 

case  was  argued  in  th.n  "^"""f  '*"  "ilroad,  and  the 

"iiroad ^o.!:;i:vt':z,,i^fzr,y^  t^- 

a  general  he  is  I    He  had  the  whnl  •     "*  ""''=" 

out  The  railroad  appealed  tote  n"'"''^  '""^P"^ 
i^her  in  the  „ea„  Zit^t^^^':^  £"  V°" 
The  railroad   lost   arain      TK  "  "''***»• 

S"P«me  Court  oftheltLsJIlt'LT'"''  "  ""- 
while  at  the  same  time  your  Svh  "'''"*  ""' 

from  the  Devlin  eve^r„rbU"e,r  Ifo^^  "^ 
was  heard  at  Concord  old  R  Jl  ur "  .  °'*  '•"  ^ase 
stroke  of  apople^  "  ^^  ^'"''"P  ''"«<J  from  a 

bad'XtVnd'w'"?''"''^  ''^P'-^'^.  "P-'y  b. 

Now.  tell  her   G^"'^'''.'  '°  ="^"P'  ^""^  ''"''"•s  offer"^ 

"er.  Geo,^,  of  your  uncle's  magnanimity." 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"It  wa.  just  this,"  .aid  Trafforo-"just  what  you 
would  have  expected  him  to  do.  He  went  to  Mrs 
Winship  personally  and  renewel  the  -ffer  he  had  made 
two  years  before.  In  the  mean  time,  please  take  notice, 
the  Devhn  s  business  had  gone  from  bad  to  worse,  and 
yet  he  actually  renewed  the  offer  as  it  stood." 

Trafford  leaned  back,  his  thumbs  thrust  into  the  arm- 
holes  of  h,s  evening  waistcoat,  and  watched  the  effect 
of  this  information  upon  Paula.  The  girl  could  only 
gaze  at  him  with  the  same  troubled  expression  of  in- 
quiry, waiting  for  him  to  go  on. 

"But  Mrs.  Winship."  he  continued,  "had  as  little 
mind  for  compromise  as  her  husband.     The  railroad 
having  already  lost  twice,  she  was  persuaded  it  would 
lose  apm.    Once  there  were  no  more  rebates,  she  was 
sure  the  Devlin  would  do  its  old  work  again.     Well  the 
railroad  lost  the  third  time,  and  appealed  to  the  Sup/eme 
Court  of  the  United  States.     For  the  poor  lady  that  was 
a  staggerer,  just  as  your  father  su,  posed  it  would  be. 
Still,  she  had  the  pluck-^r  the  folly,  whichever  you 
cho<»e  to  call  it-to  struggle  on.     The  case  went  before 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  and  the  rail- 
road  lost  again.    Mrs.  Winship  was  victorious;  but- 
and  this  IS  what  your  father  had  foreseen  during  the 
whole  SIX  years  the  fight  had  lasted-the  Devlin  Coal 
Company  was  already  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and 
legal  expenses  had  eaten  up  all  the  Winships'  private 
means.  •       "^ 

Trafford,  having  ended  his  story,  fell  back  dramat- 
ically  into  the  depths  of  his  chair. 

35 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

»/'^'  '^^  *"'"  *'  '^'i"  Minei  the  next  year" 
Mr.  Trafford  concluded.    "The  Win.hip.  k^Tnn^ll 

thqr  became  the  met  paying  of  all  our  propenie,." 

There  was  a  long  silence,  broken  only  when  young 
Mr..  Trafford  ren,.nded  her  hu.b».,d  that  it  wa.  timf 
to  say  good-night. 

"Did  any  more  of  our  money  come  like  that  ?"  Paula 
asked,  suddenly. 
'•Like  what?"  Trafford  demanded. 
Like  what,  Paula  ?"  came  from  Mrs.  Trafford  her- 
self  wth  a  suggestion  of  protest  in  her  tone. 

Like  that,"  the  girl  said,  coi.rii,edly-"like  the 
money  we  got  from  the  Winshii.s." 

.iJ'T"  ^.?w  °u'"^  f~*"  *'"  Winships,"  Trafford  de- 
b^ts."'^^'"""'"'"""'''"*-'''^^^^ 

"Was  it  honorable  business?" 
fJ^^A  '1"'"'°"  »''PP'd  ""t  unawares.     Trafford  strode 

ILi    "^^t-     °^  *".'  '^'"'"8  J""^"'  h'"  f""  planted 
apart,  and  his  eyes  shooting  out  their  steely  rays. 

W  here.  Paula."  he  said,  in  ,  tone  of  rough 

trndliness.    you  have  for  a  father  one  of  the  great^ 

reart^"?'""'  """^  "^'  """"  ^«''  "  ""g  ""'"ra  big 
heart,  a  b.g  nature;  a  man  who  out  of  nothing  has  creat! 
ed  one  of  the  first  positions  in  the  world;  a  man  who  ha, 
not  only  transformed  the  business  of  the  country,  but 
pven  new  conceptions  of  business  to  the  whole  earth. 
Wow,  such  a  man  a.  that  is  bound  to  have  enemies. 
36 


THE  CJANTS  STRENGTH 

•nd  he  hai  them,    M  hii  life  long  he  hai  been  per. 
■ecuted,  vilified,  and  traduced.    He  haf  gone  from 
court  to  court,  and  from  one  committee  of  invettieation 
to  another.    What  ha.  been  hii  crime  ?    He  hai  made 
money.    He  hai  made  a  lot  of  money.    To  people 
who  ve  tried  fo  make  money  and  haven't  made  it,  that'* 
crime  enough  to  vfarrant  any  kind  of  hounding  down. 
But  take  the  people  who  haven't  tried  to  make  money; 
take  the  people  whose  ambirions  are  elsewhere  and 
whose  minds  are  impartial.    Is  there  any  one  among 
them  who  isn't  proud  to  take  your  father  by  the  hand 
and  accept  what  he  has  to  give?    Is  there  a  philan- 
thropist, from  Cardinal  Gibbons  to  Bishop  Potter,  who 
isn't  glad  of  his  subscription  f    Is  there  an  institution, 
Jrom  Harvard  University  to  St.  John's  Floating  Hos- 
pital, that  doesn't  accept  his  donation  without  ques- 
tioning the  means  by  which  the  money  came  to  be  his  ? 
He  has  built  a  cathedral  at  Burlington,  a  hospital  at  Des 
Moines,  an  orphanage  in  St.  Louis;  he  has  endowed  a 
School  of  Mining  at  one  university,  and  an  Institute  of 
Manual  Arts  at  another;  there  are  charitable  schemes  all 
over  the  country  that  owe  their  chief  support  to  your 
father.    Is  there  a  doubtful  note  on  the  part  of  any 
person  or  any  corporation,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  that 
has  received  his  benefactions?    None.     Mind  you,  I'm 
quoting  to  you  not  the  common  standard  of  the  world, 
but  the  standard  of  men  devoted  to  the  religious,  moral 
or  educational  welfare  of  their  fellows.     One  and  all 
they  have  taken  his  money  as  money  which  he  had  an 
honest  right  to  bestow.     Now,  isn't  that  enough  for 
37 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

you  i  Haven't  you  got  a  man  of  moral  testimony  there 
that  nobody  can  go  behind  or  bring  into  dispute  ?  The 
man  who  impeaches  your  father  to-day  muit  prac- 
tically  impeach  all  the  religious,  philanthropic,  and 
educational  opinion  in  the  United  Sutet.  Don't  you 
begin  to  do  it." 

He  stood  looking  down  at  her,  smiling  in  kindly 
admonition.  Young  Mrs.  Trafford  came  up  and  slipped 
her  arm  through  his,  smiling  down  at  her  too.  The 
mother  joined  them,  with  an  affectionate  injunction  to 
dismiss  all  foolish  and  fatiguing  thoughts  and  go  to  bed. 
The  girl  made  no  reply  to  any  of  them.  She  smiled 
rather  wistfully  in  response  to  their  good-night  wishes, 
and  told  them  she  would  put  out  the  lights.  Then  she 
sat  still,  alone  and  pondering,  trying  to  sift  and  co-or- 
dinate the  mass  of  information  she  had  just  received. 

It  was  late  when  she  rose  to  go  away.  On  the  table 
beside  her  lay  the  five  gold  pieces  she  had  brought 
home  an  hour  or  two  ago.  "The  Winship  money," 
she  half  muttered  to  herself.  "What  father  did  to  his 
father  I  seem  to  have  done  to  him." 

She  picked  up  the  coins  one  by  one  and  pressed  them 
in  her  palm.  Suddenly,  before  she  could  control  her- 
self, the  tears  rose  and  ran  down  her  cheeks.  As  she 
dashed  them  away  it  seemed  as  if  a  figure  rose  before 
her  through  the  mist  they  made.  It  was  not  the  man 
with  the  brown  beard  and  the  gleaming  eyes  she  had  seen 
that  night;  it  was  the  blind  woman,  who  had  gone  on 
from  court  to  court  and  from  year  to  year,  till  her  father 
had  been  forced  at  last  to  "club  her  down." 
38 


CHAPTER  IV 

OF  all  the  Traffbrd  family  it  wa»  Paula  who  had 
least  of  the  clearnesi  of  vision  and  promptness 
of  action  that  were  so  remarkable  in  her  parents.  Her 
thought  worked  slowly  and  somewhat  illogically.  She 
was  not  capable  of  large  conceptions,  and  when  she 
tried  to  trace  for  herself  a  definite  line  of  duty  it  soon 
lost  itself  in  vagueness.  In  a  small  way  of  life  she  would 
have  fulfilled  the  daily  Usk  with  scrupulous  devotion, 
helped  by  the  very  absence  of  choice;  but  as  mistress  of 
a  fortune  such  as  that  which  she  was  already  allowed 
to  spend  she  felt  herself  bewildered.  It  was  as  if  she 
had  a  bird's  range  of  flight  without  the  bird's  instinct 
for  finding  the  way. 

She  was  conscious  of  this  as  she  sat,  on  the  follow- 
ing morning,  looking  over  her  correspondence.  Every- 
thing in  the  room  about  her  suggested  wealth.  She 
herself,  in  a  soft,  trailing  garment  that  seemed  to  be 
woven  of  gossamer  and  the  petals  of  pale-pink  flowers, 
looked  as  far  removed  from  the  practical  side  of  life  as 
a  Princess  de  Lamballe  or  Dauphiness  Marie  Antoinette. 
Her  cofl^ee,  brought  to  her  in  the  gold-plate  service  kept 
in  the  hotel  as  a  delicate  attention  to  passing  royalties, 
was  beside  her  on  the  table,  and  she  sipped  as  she  read. 
39 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

The  Duke's  daily  letter  she  glanced  through  first, 
laying  it  down  with  a  sigh.  When  she  had  read  the 
notes  from  her  friends,  she  separated  the  letters  of  in- 
vitation from  those  of  premature  congratulation  on  her 
reported  engagement.  Then  she  attacked  the  large 
pile  of  envelopes,  the  nature  of  whose  contents  she 
knew  only  too  well.  They  were  all  requests  for  con- 
tributions of  money  to  charities  of  various  kinds,  and 
she  swept  them  aside  with  a  gesture  of  impatience. 
In  spite  of  herself,  her  thoughts  went  back  to  the  man 
she  had  seen  last  night — the  man  who  was  "evidently  a 
gentleman,"  but  who  "looked  poor." 

For  a  man  to  "look  poor"  seemed  to  Paula  the  last 
touch  of  the  pitiable.     All  the  men  with  whom  she 
had  much  to  do  had  at  least  the  outward  air  of  riches. 
This  man,  on  the  contrary,  bore  the  very  stamp  of  one 
obliged  to  deny  himself.    Yes,  that  was  it.    She  could 
see  it  now.     It  was  not  poverty  that  he  expressed  so 
much  as  self-denial.     The  very  clothes  he  wore  were 
threadbare.    She    had    noticed    that    detail,    sub-con- 
sciously at  the  time,  and  now  it  came  back  to  her 
significantly.    Well,  he  had  a  mother  and  a  sister  de- 
pendent on  him;  it  was  only  too  likely  that  he  should 
be  forced    into   personal   privation.      It  was   not  the 
nobleness  of  the  sacrifice  that  appealed  to  Paula;  that 
was  not  the  standard  by  which  she  had  been  taught  to 
judge;  it  was  rather  the  pitifulness  involved  in  the 
necessity  for  making  that  kind  of  sacrifice  at  all.     The 
men  of  her  family  put  forth  gigantic  efforts,  and  carried 
them  out  to  gigantic  successes.    She  understood  that; 
40 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

she  was  used  to  it;  but  that  a  man  of  her  own  world, 
one  who  was  on  such  footing  as  to  be  casually  presented 
to  herself— that  such  a  man  should  be  driven  to  pinch- 
ing, sordid,  petty  economies  in  clothing,  and  perhaps 
in  food,  had  in  it  something  of  the  shameful.     It  put 
him  at  once,  in  her  imagination,  into  the  class  of  people 
without  money— the  seekers,  the  wheedlers,  the  beg- 
gars.    She  was  not  indifferent  to  poverty,  but  she  could 
not  help  being  distrustful  of  it.    She  had  seen  so  much 
of  It,  fawning  and  whining,  with  the  back  bent  and  the 
hand  out-stretchedl    She  could  not  remember  the  time 
when  they,  the  Traffords,  had  not  been  tracked  down 
by  petitioners.    They  had   moved   among  them   like 
European   tourists   among   Egyptian   fellaheen,   with 
cnes  for  backsheesh   forever   ringing   in  their  ears. 
Whether  from  the  individual  or  the  institution,  the 
demand  for  money  never  ceased. 

She  had  come  to  give  carelessly,  with  a  kind  of  royal 
prodigality,  but  none  the  less  with  a  certain  contempt 
for  those  who  asked  of  her.  They  wearied  her,  they 
goaded  her.  There  were  so  many  of  them  that  she 
was  tempted  to  class  every  one  who  had  not  huge  means 
of  his  own  among  their  number.  For  the  minute  she 
saw  Roger  Winship  there.  He  was  poor;  that  surely 
was  a  su£Bcient  reason  why  he  should  put  his  hand  out 
like  the  rest. 

Then  came  the  thought  of  what  had  made  him  poor. 

She  went  over  again  the  discussion  of  last  night.     Her 

father  had  eaten  the  heart  out  of  the  Winships*  business 

before  they  had  ever  heard  of  himl    He  had  laid  out  his 

*  +1 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

plan  of  campaign  to  ruin  them  five  or  six  years  aheadi 
What  did  it  mean ?  What  could  she  do?  Could  she 
do  anything?  Was  there  a  right  and  a  wrong  to  the 
situation  ? 

She  leaned  her  head  on  her  hand  and  tried  to  think; 
but  the  complex  questions  at  issue  were  of  the  sort  that 
baffled  her  intelligence.  Her  mind  could  only  shift 
aimlessly  about,  as  in  a  labyrinth,  where  all  the  paths 
led  to  nothing.  She  felt  herself  beating  about  in  de- 
spair, in  search  of  a  way,  when  Mrs.  George  Trafford 
came  tripping  in  and  pointed  out  the  direction. 

She  had  knocked  lightly  at  the  door,  but  had  en- 
tered without  waiting  for  an  answer.  She,  too,  was 
in  a  morning  costume,  but  one  significantiy  unlike 
Paula's.  It  was  of  white  linen,  belted  in  at  the  waist 
with  pale  blue.  It  was  neat  and  trim  and  cleared 
the  ground,  setting  off  her  small  figure  to  perfection. 
||Good-moming,  Laura,"  Paula  said,  rather  wearily. 
"Good -morning,  dear,"  Mrs.  Trafford  returned 
briskly. 

They  kissed  each  other  in  a  pecking  fashion,  and  Mis. 
Trafford  sank  into  the  nearest  chair.  No  one  could 
see  her  without  being  sure  that  she  was  the  sort  of 
woman  to  go  to  her  point  at  once. 

"I  simply  had  to  come  to  you,  dear,  before  you  had 
a  chanre  to  go  out.  I've  been  so  distressed  about 
the  conversation  of  last  night.  I've  told  George  that 
he  shouldn't  hurt  things  at  you  like  that." 

"What  things?"  Paula  demanded,  holding  herself 
erect,  and  flushing. 

4» 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"About  your  father,  dear.  You  might  easily  mis- 
understand— " 

"I  should  never  misunderstand  to  the  extent  of 
thinking  he  had  done  wrong,"  the  girl  said,  haughtily. 

"No,  of  course  not.  But  I  know  exactly  how  you 
feel,  because  I've  had  times  of  feeling  that  way  my- 
self." 

"You  mean —  f"  Paula  began,  and  stopped  abruptly. 
Her  eyes  clouded,  and  the  tiny  furrow  marked  itself  be- 
tween her  brows  as  she  gazed  straight  before  her, 
trying  to  shape  her  thought. 

Mrs.  Trafford  leaned  back  in  her  chair  and  waited. 
She  was  a  pretty  woman,  with  the  cold,  clear-cut 
daintiness  of  a  statuette  in  biscuit  de  Shires.  When 
George  Trafford  married  her  it  was  a  surprise  to  every 
one  but  herself.  A  Western  girl,  the  daughter  of  a 
doctor  in  a  small  country  town,  she  had  the  Western 
ability  to  meet  poverty  just  as,  when  it  came,  she  had 
the  Western  readiness  to  accept  wealth.  She  had  not 
looked  for  wealth — certainly  not  such  wealth  as  George 
Trafford's  —  but  she  knew  her  capacity  to  fill  any 
position,  and  she  entered  upon  her  new  career  with 
plenty  of  self-confidence. 

The  marriage  was  something  of  a  public  event,  es- 
pecially in  the  West.  Even  in  New  York  there  was 
some  curiosity  over  the  advent  of  a  penniless  countty 
girl  suddenly  lifted  to  such  a  giddy  height  of  fortune. 
Laura  knew  that  people  expected  her  head  to  be  turned. 
They  looked  at  least  to  be  amused  by  that  wild  splash- 
ing in  money  supposed  to  be  characteristic  of  those 
43 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

who  have  been  hurriedly  made  rich,  especially  when 
Aeir  antecedents  have  lain  beyond  the  Mississippi. 
But  they  had  reckoned  without  the  personal  knowledge 
of  one  who  kn«.  thoroughly  her  own  mind.  I„  coming 
to  New  York  Laura  felt  herself  raised  up  for  the  pur- 
pose of  dlustraring  the  correct  and  conscientious  use 
of  wealth. 

By  this  time  the  social  position  of  the  Traffords  in 
New  York  had  been  secured.    After  living  in  Cleve- 
land  St.  Loms,  Washington,  and  elsewhere,  according 
*o  d,e  needs  of  Mr.  Trafford's  growing  empire,  th^ 
had  come  to  New  York  as  comparative  strangers. 
Their  reception  by  the  high  powers  rubng  there  had 
been  one  of  mingled  coldness  and  curiosity.    Littie 
by  httie,  however,  they  had  passed  through  the  neces- 
^ly  stages  of  initiation,  so  that  when  Mrs.  George 
Trafford  made  her  ent^r  it  was  into  an  uncontested 
place.     In  sp.te  of  the  Mississippi,  there  was  no  reason 
why,  as  a  bnde  unusually  pretty  and  incomparably 
nch,  she  should  not  become  one  of  that  chosen  oligarchy 
of  lad.es  whose  golden  sceptre  sways  over  the  American 
metropolis. 

And  yet  she  had  the  courage  to  snub-gently,  cour- 
teously,  but  none  the  less  decidedly  to  snut-those 
two  great  potentates,  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer  Smith  and 
Mrs.  Stuyvesant  Jones,  when,  through  sheer  kindness, 
they  united  their  rival  forces  to  come  and  tell  her  so. 
bhe  should  have  no  rime  for  mere  amusement  she  in- 
formed them.  The  duties  of  her  position  would  tax 
iier  strength  to  the  utmost.     Besides,  she  shrank  from 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


mtentation,  from  anything  that  made  a  parade  of  the 
mere  power  to  spend.  True  refinement  lay  in  making 
as  little  display  as  possible,  didn't  it?  None,  in  fact, 
could  know  it  better  than  themselves.  The  responsi- 
bility of  wealth  involved  so  many  considerations  for 
others  that  one's  self  and  one's  legitimate,  one's  natural 
tastes  were  driven  to  the  background. 

She  looked  at  them  with  such  clear,  gray  eyes,  was 
so  frank,  so  naive,  and  (as  they  thought)  so  Western, 
that  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer  Smith  and  Mrs.  Stuyvesant 
Jones  were  nonplussed  rather  than  offended.  They 
liked  her  for  her  independence,  and  were  certainly 
amused.  If  she  wanted  to  help  others  with  her  money, 
goodness  knew  there  was  room  enough,  they  said,  when 
they  went  away.  They  were  the  last  people  in  the 
world  to  object  to  it.  Besides,  when  she  had  helped 
a  few,  she  would  have  enough  of  such  a  thankless  task 
as  that.  She  had  snubbed  them — that  was  plain — but 
they  were  so  unused  to  the  process  that  they  almost  en- 
joyed it.  She  would  have  other  ideas  when  she  was  a 
little  older,  and  then  they  would  take  her  up  again. 

But  the  years  were  slipping  by  and  Laura  was  true 
to  the  principles  with  which  she  started.  The  only 
display  she  made  was  of  the  fact  that  she  made  no  dis- 
play; her  only  ostentation  was  that  of  her  lack  of 
ostentation.  She  made  no  secret  of  the  fact  that  she 
looked  upon  wealth  as  a  heavy  burden.  "Mr.  Traf- 
ford  and  I  have  no  pleasure  like  that  of  giving  away," 
she  sighed,  not  only  in  private  but  in  public.  They 
did  give  away  on  a  scale  of  superb  munificence.  By 
45 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

wnfining  their  gifti  to  wh>t  would  refine,  elevate,  and 
educate  the  ma»«»  at  laige,  they  took  care  not  to 
pauperize  or  encourage  idlene».  School,,  coUege,. 
hbrane.,  and  art  museum,  had  the  chief  benefit  of  thei^ 
generosity.  The  grim  want  of  individuaU  did  not  ap- 
peal  to  them,  because,"  so  Mn.  Trafford  said,  "there 
were  so  few  cases  in  which  the  after^ects  of  charity 
were  not  deleterious."  She  liked  to  feel  that  her 
liberality  had  a  sound  commercial  basis. 

You  needn't  be  afraid  to  speak  out  with  me.  Paula, 
dear,  she  said,  encouragingly,  when  the  girl  had  been 
along  time  silent  "As  I've  told  you  already,  I've 
been  through  it  afl.  and  I  want  to  help  you.  Before 
I  mamed  George  I'd  heard  lots  of  things  about  Uncle 
Trafford  that— well,  that  rather  shocked  me  " 

hu^dTor"'*  ^^"^  ^"  '""*'  haughtily,  but  Laura 
"I  had  to  reason  everything  out  before  I  could  see 
how  right  he  was.  If  I  hadn't  been  able  to  come  to 
Aat  conclusion  I  could  never  have  accepted  George 
Now.  heres  a  principle  which,  George  says,  people  in 
our  position  must  never  lose  sight  of:  you  can't  go  be- 
lund  jhe  law.    If  the  law  is  on  your  side,  you  mist  be 

"But  can't  the  law  be  outwitted?"  Paula  asked, 
pondenngly.    "It  seems  to  me  I've  heard  of  that  " 

I  believe  it  can.  but  George  says  Uncle  Trafford 
never   tried  to  do   it.    That's   where   he's    been  so 

"Did  he-?    Tell  me  frankly,   Laura,  please.    I 
46 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


know  he  didn't,  but  I  must  ask  you.    Did  he,  in  your 
opinion,  ever  do  anything  that  wasn't  honorable?" 

"George  says,"  Mrs.  Trafford  answered,  slowly, 
"that  business  is  a  good  deal  like  whist.  Each  player 
holds  his  portion  of  the  cards,  out  of  which  he's  per- 
mitted to  win  the  game  by  any  means  short  of  cheating. 
It's  acknowledged  beforehand  that  there's  no  place  in 
the  play  for  mercy  or  unselfishness.  The  game  goes 
to  him  who  can  get  it.  There  are  commonly  accepted 
rules  that  he  can  observe  or  not,  as  he  chooses.  What 
justifies  him  is  his  success,  and  if  he  wins  the  question 
of  honor  or  dishonor  isn't  raised.  Now,  dear,  your 
father  is  an  amazingly  clever  player  of  the  game.  He 
can  win  it  when  his  opponents  hold  all  the  best  cards 
and  more  than  half  the  trumps.  It  isn't  his  place  to 
consider  them;  it's  his  du^  to  take  the  tricks.  If  he 
takes  a  great  many  tricks — a  great,  great  many  tricks 
— his  skill  can't  be  called  dishonor,  can  it  ?  It's  skill, 
that's  all;  and  nothing  is  more  admirable  than  skill  in 
anything." 

"  But  if  it's  skill  to  bring  trouble  and  worry  and  want 
to  some  people,  and  to  others — to  us,  for  instance — 
millions  more  than  we  can  ever  use — " 

"There's  no  such  skill  as  that,  dear,"  Mrs.  Trafford 
argued,  in  a  virtuous  tone.  "From  the  beginning  of 
history  wealth  has  always  been  a  stewardship,  and  it 
has  gone  into  the  hands  of  certain  stewards.  If  you 
are  a  steward,  it's  much  more  important  to  fulfil  your 
stewardship  than  to  question  the  means  by  which  you 
were  appointed." 

47 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"  But,"  said  Paula,  doubtfully,  "couldn't  pan  of  the 
■tewardship  be— to  make  reparation  ?" 

"Reparation  isn't  as  easy  at  it  looks,  dear.    It's  not 
only  a  matter  of  giving,  but  a  matter  of  uking.    When 
one  side  is  willing  to  offer  it,  the  other,  perhaps,  isn't 
.   ready  to  accept  it." 

"But  if  it  were  money?    Anybody  would  accept 
money.  "^ 

"No,  anybody  won't  accept  money,  strange  as  it 
may  seem.    There  are  people-we  may  not  know  many 
o»  them-but  there  art  people  who  put  money  a  long 
way  after  pride.    I've  got  a  good  mind  to  tell  you  somis 
thing  that  George  and  I  have  always  kept  from  you. 
It  would  show  you." 
Paula  looked  her  interrogation. 
"It's  about  your  father." 
"Do  tell  me,  Laura,  please." 
"Well,  the  beginning  of  it  was  a  long  time  ago,  when 
we  lived  m  TurtonviUe,  Wisconsin.    It  was  ages  before 
1  ever  imagined  I  should  marry  one  of  the  Traffords. 
Your  father  at  that  time  had  some  trouble  out  there 
wth  a  man  named  Marshall    I  don't  know  exactly 
what  It  was,  but  it  was  something  like  what  we  were 
talking  of  last  night." 

"  Not  the  Winships  V  Paula  cried,  painfully.    "  There 
wasn't  another  case  like  that?    Tell  me,  Laura!" 

No,  it  wasn't  a  bit  like  that;  it  was  just  something 

in  the  same  line.    What  I'm  coming  to  is  this:  Mar- 

shall  was  the  rich  man  of  TurtonviUe.    He  had  some- 

thing  to  do  with  coal,  of  course;    and  he  had  four 

48 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


daughters,  all  veiy  plain.  One  of  them  wai  an  old 
maid  from  the  time  I  can  begin  to  remember.  Well, 
vhen  the  trouble  started,  your  father  began  pushing 
Marshall  and  pushing  him  and  pushing  him — till  at 
last  he  pushed  him  out  of  his  business  altogether. 
Then  Marshall  shot  himself." 

"Oh,  Laura,  don't  tell  me  any  more." 

"It  was  all  Marshall's  fault,  dear.  Your  father 
didn't  make  him  shoot  himself.  That  was  perfectly 
gratuitous  on  Marshall's  part.  But  it's  about  the  old 
Miss  Marshalls  that  I  want  to  tell  you.  After  their 
father  died  and  they  were  so  poor,  they  had  to  turn 
their  hands  to  anything  for  a  living.  They  did  sew- 
ing and  made  cake  and  put  up  pickles  and  psinted 
doilies—" 

"Oh,  how  dreadful,  Laura!" 

"And  they  did  pretty  well  till  the  eldest  one  fell  ill. 
That  was  the  ve.y  summer  I  was  married;  and  one 
day,  in  the  winter  after,  I  happened  to  mention  them 
to  your  father." 

"Oh,  I'm  so  glad.    I  know  he  was  good  to  them!" 

"Yes;  he  sent  them  a  thousand  dollars,  anonymous- 
ly, through  their  minister.  He  gave  the  strictest  orders 
that  his  name  was  never  to  be  known,  but  when  they 
had  spent  a  couple  of  hundred  of  it  the  foolish  clergy- 
man told  them.  That  was  enough.  The  sick  one  got 
up  out  of  her  dying  bed  and  went  to  work.  It  was  as 
if  her  pride  had  healed  her.  For  two  years  they  toiled 
and  saved  till  they  had  got  together  as  much  as  they 
had  spent.  Then  they  returned  the  full  thousand  to 
49 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

jrour  father.    He  told  me  about  it,  and  I  know  it  cut 
him  to  the  quick.    He'i  forgiven  them,  though,  great 
heart  that  he  is  I    And  he'i  aiked  me  leveral  times  to 
do  what  1  can  for  them." 
"And  you've  done  it,  Laura  ?" 
"Indeed  I  havel    I  couldn't  send  them  money,  of 
course,  after  their  treatment  of  Uncle  Trafford.    Be- 
sides, I  never  run  the  risk  of  pauperizing  any  one. 
What  I've  done  has  been  to  give  them  work.    They 
sew  beautifully,  and  I've  managed  to  let  them  have  all 
the  house-linen,  both  for  Newport  and  Tuxedo,  with- 
out a  suspicion  on  their  part  that  it  was  for  our  family. 
Naturally,  I  had  to  do  it  through  a  third  person,  for 
they  wouldn't  have  touched  it  if  they  had  known." 

"Are  there  really  people  in  the  world  who  feel 
towards  us  like  that?"  Paula  questioned,  with  an  air 
of  distress. 

"I  suppose,"  Mrs.  Trafford  replied,  in  her  practical 
way— "I  suppose  they  feel  towards  us  much  as  the 
French  do  towards  the  Germans.  It  can't  be  very 
pleasant  for  the  Germans  to  be  hated  so,  and  yet  they 
have  Alsace-Lorraine  to  console  them.  I  don't  blame 
the  Miss  Marshalls.  I  say  it's  very  natural  in  their 
situation.  I  do  all  I  can  to  alleviate  their  condition, 
and  I  believe  I  succeed.  Their  work  is  really  exquisite, 
and  I  find  that,  even  after  paying  the  express  charges, 
it  is  cheaper  than  it  would  be  in  New  \  ±.  Now  the 
third  person  of  whom  I  spoke— if  you  must  know  who 
it  is,  it's  that  Miss  Green  who  works  in  the  College 
Settlement  in  Bleecker  Street— she  wants  me  to  take  a 
SO 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


lot  of  their  painted  doiliet,  but  I  feel  that  I  mutt  draw 
the  line  at  that." 

"I'll  take  them,"  Paula  said,  initantly.  "I'll  uke 
as  many  as  they  can  paint,  if  they  go  on  painting  all 
the  rest  of  their  lives." 

It  was  this  sort  of  impulsive  generosity  that  contra- 
dicted all  M'S.  Trafford's  well-thought-out  principles  of 
benevolence.  It  lacked  the  element  of  the  practical 
good  of  both  parties,  as  well  as  the  sense  of  the  respon- 
sibility of  wealth. 

"Then  you'd  be  making  a  mistake,"  she  said,  blunt- 
ly. "You'd  be  wasting  both  your  own  money  and  their 
time.  There  are  three  useful  things  that  they  can  do: 
they  can  sew,  they  can  make  cake,  and  they  can  put  up 
pickles.  Why  on  earth  should  they  want  to  do  paint- 
ing-?" 

"  But  painting  is  a  useful  thing,"  Paula  interrupted, 
a  little  warmly. 

"Exactly.  And  that  brings  me  right  to  the  thing  I 
came  in  to  say.  I  know  what's  been  on  your  mind  ever 
since  last  night.  I  know  it,  because  it's  been  on  my 
mind,  too.  I  always  feel  for  those  cases  where  there's 
been  a  previous — connection  with  the  family,  so  to 
speak.  I  know  it's  Uncle  Trafford's  wish  that  we 
should  make  things  as  easy  for  them  as  we  can.  Now, 
why  shouldn't  you  have  this  Mr.  Winship  paint  your 
portrait  ?" 

"Oh,  Laura,  I  couldn't!"  the  girl  cried,  flushing. 

"Couldn't  ?  Of  course  you  could.  It's  the  thing  to 
do.  He  could  paint  you  and  the  Duke  and  me  and 
SI 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

our  little  Paul,  and  perhaps  I  might  even  get  George 
to  lit  to  him.  I  suppose  Aunt  Trafford  never  would. 
Anyhow,  he  could  do  all  of  us,  and  we'd  pay  him  very 
good  prices— nothing  fabulous,  mind  you,  nothing  of 
that  kind,  but  what  for  him  would  be  generous  prices. 
Just  think  of  all  it  would  mean  to  him!  It  wouldn't 
be  only  the  money— though  that,  of  course,  would  be  a 
great  deal— it  would  be  the  rlclamt,  the  advertisement. 
It  would  pose  him  before  the  world;  it  would  set  him 
up  for  Ufe.  Then  we  should  be  rid  of  the  worry  of 
thinking  about  him.  Of  course,  I  can  see  it  would  be 
a  bore  to  you,"  she  added,  as  Paula  srill  seemed  to 
hesitate,  "but  people  like  ourselves,  with  the  responsi- 
bility of  wealth  upon  them,  can't  stop  at  a  duty  merely 
because  it's  a  bore." 

"You're  a  wonderful  woman,  Laura,"  Paula  said 
at  last,  her  eyes  suffused  with  that  Celtic  softness  which 
is  midway  between  smiles  and  tears.  "You've  such 
good  ideas,  and  such  sound  ones.  I  won't  say  that  I'll 
do  it,  but  I'll  think  it  over.  But  if  I  come  to  it,"  she 
went  on,  stammering  slightly,  "you— mustn't  think- 
that  it  is  because  I  have  any  doubt  of— of— father." 

As  she  uttered  the  last  words  there  came  a  sharp 
tap  at  the  door,  and  Paul  Trafford  himself  entered. 


CHAPTER  V 


i 


HE  ttrode  in  with  his  characteristic  air  of  com< 
manii,  and  Paula,  springing  up,  threw  her  arms 
about  him.  The  two  were  always  expressive  in  their 
affection  for  each  other,  but  this  morning  there  was 
in  Paula's  "Oh,  papa!"  a  variety  of  emotions  of  which 
she  herself  could  have  given  but  a  confused  account. 
It  was  as  if  she  had  received  him  back  again  after 
the  nightmare  of  having  lost  him.  He  clasped  her  to 
him,  looking  down  at  her  with  that  kind  of  impres- 
sive tenderness  for  which  very  strong  faces  alone  have 
the  capacity. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  she  was  proud  of  him — this 
handsome  giant  of  over  six  feet  three,  before  whom  all 
the  fast-barred  gates  of  life  had  yielded.  Even  age 
seemed  powerless  to  lay  more  than  the  lightest  hand 
upon  him.  His  sixty-five  years  had  deepened  the  lines 
on  his  rocklike  face,  and  brought  a  little  gray  into  the 
mustache  that  curving  upward  revealed  the  set  of  the 
close  lips,  but  they  had  done  little  more.  The  hair  was 
scarcely  silvered,  and  the  eyes  still  had  the  vivacity  of 
an  eager,  stem-faced  boy's.  They  were  the  Trafford 
eyes— blue  with  black  lashes,  and,  in  his  case,  with 
heavy,  overhanging  brows. 

53 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Paula  tKpped  from  his  embrace,  and  thejr  exchanged 
the  uiual  mommg  greetings.  Trafford  kissed  his  ^tct, 
and  mqmred  for  George  and  little  Paul.  It  was  clear 
to  the  two  women,  accustomed  to  observe  the  slightest 
signs  of  his  wishes,  that  he  had  come  on  some  special 
errand;  so  Lauta.  after  reminding  Paula  that  she  and 
the  Duke  were  to  lunch  with  George  and  herself  at 
Ciro  s,  made  some  excuse  for  running  away. 

Paula  resumed  her  seat,  while  her  father  moved  about 
the  room  with  unusual  restlessness. 

"That's  a  pretty  thing  you've  got  on,"  he  observed, 
coming  back  to  her  side.    "Aren't  you  looking  a  lit- 

"W?   '  'I'X^  continued,  stroking  her  cheek. 
What's  all  this  ?" 

He  turned  over,  with  a  toss,  the  letters  of  petition  she 
had  opened,  and,  with  characteristic  attention  to  smaU 
details,  ran  his  eye  over  them. 

"You  might  send  something  there,"  he  advised,  "and 
there.  I  wouldn't  pay  any  regard  to  that.  You  might 
inquire  into  this  one;  and,  of  course,  you  must  see  that 
that  poor  little  French  girl  has  what  comfort  you  can 
give  her.  I'm  going  to  Vienna,"  he  finished,  abruptly. 
Oh  no,  papal"  she  pleaded.  "Not  nowl  Not  just 
now!  ■* 

"I  must,  dear.  I've  tried  to  get  out  of  it,  but  there 
are  very  large  interests  at  stake,  and  I'm  oblieed 
to  go."  ^ 

He  drew  a  smaU  chair  towards  her  and  sat  down. 
With  his  arms  folded  on  the  table,  he  looked  across  at 
her.    Before  that  gaze  her  own  glance  fell.    It  was  as 
54 


THE  GIAhfTS  STRENGTH 

though  the  mingling  of  strength  and  adontion  in  it 
were  too  much  for  her  to  support  without  flinching 
The  roseUlce  color  came  and  went  in  her  cheek,  and 
stole  up  mto  her  white,  blue-veined  temples,  while  Paul 
Trafford  wondered,  as  he  did  ten  times  eveiy  day,  how 
It  was  that,  out  of  his  sheer  force  and  his  wife's  mere 
buxomness,  there  had  sprung  this  exquisite  flower  of  a 
child. 

"Yes,  dear,  I'm  obliged  to  go,"  he  repeated.  "I'm 
soror  it  has  to  be  now— just  now.  You  know  why. 
don't  you  ?"  •" 

She  lifted  her  «yes  and  let  the  i  fall  again. 
"I  suppose  I  do,  papa." 

"I  don't  want  to  huny  you,"  he  went  on,  with  what, 
for  him,  was  cunous  timidity,  "and  I  wouldn't  on  my 
own  account-not  for  a  second.  But,  darUng,  we  ought 
to  thuik  of— of  him,  oughtn't  we?  Don't  you  think 
he  8  been  veiy  patient  i  It's  over  a  month  now." 
"I  find  it  veiy  hard  to  decide,  papa." 
"Could  you  tell  me  why,  dear?  I  might  be  able  to 
help  you."  , 

j' You'd  like  it  very  much,  wouldn't  you,  papa  ?" 
Yes;  but  that  isn't  a  reason  for  you,"  he  answered, 
promptly.    "I  want  my  little  girl  to  many  to  please 
herself,  not  me." 

"And  yet  I  can't  help  taking  what  pleases  you  into 
consideration  — into  deep  consideration.  And  I've 
wondered  a  little  papa,"  she  continued,  looking  up  at 
him,  •  why  you've  been  so  anxious  about  this  one,  when 
you've  been  so  indilFerent,  if  not  opposed,  to  the  others." 
55 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"  I'll  teU  jrou,  darling.  I'll  give  you  my  point  of  view. 
But,  mark  you,  it  can't  be  yours;  it  mustn't  be  yours. 
From  the  very  nature  of  things,  you  and  I  approach 
this  subject  from  different  angles.  First  of  all,  I  have 
to  remember  that  I'm  no  longer  a  young  man,  and  that 
I  have  a  great  treasure  to  leave  behind." 

"But,  papa,  darling,  I'd  rather  not  think  of  it  in  that 
light." 

"No,  but  I  must.  There's  the  difference  of  angle  at 
once.  If  one  of  your  brothers  had  lived,  or  even  one 
of  your  sisters,  perhaps,  I  shouldn't  feel  so  keenly  about 
it  as  I  do.     But  you're  all  that's  left  to  us—" 

"Then  why  not  keep  me  with  you  as  lone  as  pos- 
sible?" *        "^ 

"We're  not  going  to  lose  you.  We  shall  never  be 
far  away  from  you,  at  any  time.  Your  mother  and  I 
have  quite  made  up  our  minds  to  that.  Life  wouldn't 
be  worth  anything  to  me  if  I  couldn't  see  my  little  girl 
when  I  wanted  to;  that  is,  within  reason." 

She  leaned  across  the  table  and  laid  her  hand  on  his, 
smiling  into  his  face  with  shining  eyes. 

"And  so,  dearest,  since  ray  treasure  is  so  great,  it 
would  be  a  comfort  to  me,  as  I  go  downhill,  to  know 
that  it  was  in  safe,  in  very  safe,  hands." 

"And  you  think  his  are  the  best?" 

"They  are  the  best  I  know.  I  can't  think  of  any 
man  I've  ever  met  of  whom  I  should  feel  sure,  with  so 
few  reserves— without  any  reserves  at  all.  Listen  to 
me,"  he  pursued,  in  another  tone,  patting  her  hand, 
which  still  lay  out-stretched  towards  him  on  the  table. 
S6 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Listen  to  me,  and  I'll  expose  my  whole  reason  to  you 
in  a  way  you  will  understand.  I  repeat,  that  it  is  the 
reason  which  guides  me,  but  it's  not  to  guide  you. 
Yours  must  be  a  different  motive  and  a  surer  one. 
Still,  it  may  help  you  in  making  your  decision,  if  you 
know  what  has  enabled  me  to  come  to  mine.  In  the 
first  place,  he  loves  you.  Of  course,  you  know  that." 
She  nodded  and  let  her  eyes  fall  again. 
"Then,  I  think  my  little  girl  has,  to  say  the  least,  a 
very  sincere  regard  for  him." 

She  nodded  again,  still  with  eyes  downcast 
"And  then,  he's  not  a  man  who  would  love  to-day 
and  forget  to-morrow.  He  is  essentially  good,  kind, 
loyal,  and  devoted.  Your  mother  and  I  would  have 
none  of  that  vn-etched  uncertainty  of  parents  who  say 
to  each  other,  'Oh,  I  hope  he  will  be  good  to  herl' 
We  would  be  swre  of  that  beforehand.  You  see,  dear, 
we've  protected  you  so,  we've  got  so  strongly  the  habit 
of  protecting  you,  that  it's  Uke  pain  to  us  to  think  that 
any  wind  of  unkindness  could  ever  blow  on  you." 
■  "Papa,  darling,"  she  broke  in,  with  a  choking  of  the 
voice,  "couldn't  I  stey  with  you  always,  and  not  marry 
any  one  I" 

"Certainly,  dear.    There's  not  the  slightest  reason 

why  you  shouldn't  be  an  old  maid,  if  you  want  to.  But, 

in  the  mean  time,  let  me  go  on.    Wiltshire  is  not  only 

a  good  man  who  loves  you,  but  he's  a  very  rich  man." 

"I  shouldn't  think  that  mattered,"  she  said,  lifting 

her  head  suddenly. 

"Only in  thisway.that  in  our  position  it's  a  guarantee. 

»  57 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

He's  one  of  the  rich  men  of  a  rich  country.    There's 
no  possible  reason  why  he  should  mariy  any  woman 
for  any  other  object  than  herself.    Mind  you,  I'm  far 
from  saying  that  if  you  married  a  poor  man  it  might 
not  be  for  love,  love  on  both  sides.    But  I'll  go  as  far  as 
this:  there's  no  poor  man  you  could  many  for  whom, 
however  much  he  loved  you,  your  wealth  would  not 
be  an  overpowering  consideration.     The  very  change  it 
would  bring  into  the  daily  circumstances  of  his  Ufe 
would  oblige  him  to  give  his  mind  to  it,  perhaps  more 
than  to  you.    I  must  keep  repeating,  dear,  that  that's  a 
pomt  which  weighs  with  me,  though  I  shouldn't  expect 
you  to  give  it  undue  importance." 
"I  don't  think  I  could,"  she  said,  with  a  wistful  smile. 
"All  right.    So  much  the  better.    Now  for  one  thing 
more.    Wiltshire  is  not  only  a  good  man,  and  a  rich 
man,  but  he  s  a  man  of  veiy  high  rank.    He  can  give 
his  wife  one  of  the  best  positions  in  the  world,  as  the 
world  counts  positions." 
"I  thought  our  own  was  very  good  as  it  is." 
He  raised  himself  and  laughed. 
"You're  quite  right."  he  returned.    "It  is  a  good 
posinon.     But  it's  rather  like  that  of  the  Bonapartes— 
good  as  long  as  you  can  keep  it.    It's  a  position  that 
depends  upon  a  strong  man,  and  requires  a  strong  man 
to  mamtain  it.     And  I  want  my  little  daughter  to  have 
the  best  of  everything  without  the  hardship  of  the  strug- 
gle.    If  you  were  a  boy,  I  should  feel  differently;  but 
as  It  IS,  I  want  to  see  you  in  a  place  that  wiU  be  based  on 
something  broadv  and  solider  than  the  mere  possession 
5« 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

of  money.  I  want  you  to  be  where  criticism  and  accusa- 
tion can't  touch  you.  You've  never  known  to  what  an 
extent  I've  been  assailed  by  them— and  not  only  I,  but 
every  one  with  whom  I  have  had  much  to  do.  We've 
kept  you  out  of  it  as  far  as  possible,  but  we  couldn't  do 
so  always.  They've  struck  at  your  mother  and  George 
and  Laura,  and  even  at  my  friends.  Very  soon  they 
will  begin  to  strike  at  you,  simply  because  you  are  my 
child." 

"I  should  be  proud  of  it,"  she  declared,  throwing 
back  her  head  with  something  of  his  own  flashing  of 
the  eye. 

"You  wouldn't  be  proud  of  it  long.    The  press  of  our 
country  is  perfectly  pitiless  on  those  who  rise  an  inch 
above  the  general  mediocrity.     It  spares  no  feeling 
and  respects  no  sanctuary.    The  mere  fact  that  you  are 
Paul  Trafford's  daughter  will  make  you  a  target  to  that 
great  section  of  the  public  that  has  never  ceased  to 
pursue  me  with  the  most  relentless  hostility." 
"But  what  could  they  say  against  me  ?" 
"Nothing  against  you,  dariing— nothing  against  you. 
They  could  only  rifle  the  privacy  of  your  domestic  life, 
and  besmirch  you  with  a  hundred  vulgarities.    You 
might  not  perceive  it,  but  it  would  be  madness  to  me. 
It's  only  over  here  that  we  have  some  respite  from  that 
kind  of  thing,  and,  therefore,  it's  over  here  I  should  like 
to  see  you  find  a  refuge.    If  you  were  like  some  women 
—like  Laura,  for  instance— I  mightn't  hesitate  to  ex- 
pose you  to  it;  but,  being  what  you  are,  I  should  like  to 
•ee  you  so  far  removed  from  it  all  that  even  the  echo  of 
59 


THE  GIANTS  STOENGTH 

slanderoul  curiosity  couldn't  reach  jrou.    There,"  he 
broke  off,  "I  think  I've  had  my  gay." 

She  rose  from  her  place,  and  came  slowly  to  him. 
round  the  table. 

"Thank  you,  papa,"  she  said,  simply,  slipping  her 
arm  over  his  shoulder  and  bending  down  her  cheek 
against  his  brow.  "Whatever  I  do,  you'U  love  me  just 
the  same,  won't  you  ?" 

For  answer,  he  drew  her  slim  white  fingers  to  his  lips. 

It  vexed  her  that,  at  that  very  instant,  George's  words 

of  last  night  should  have  returned  to  her  memoiy  like 

the  refrain  of  some  hideous  song: 

"Your  father  was  obliged  at  last  to  dub  her  down." 


CHAPTER  VI 

/^OULDNT  you  uke  me  somewhere?"  Paula 
V_>  asked  turning  with  a  smile  to  the  Duke  as  they 
pushed  back  their  chairs  after  lunch  at  Giro's.  "  Laura 
and  George  are  going  to  Cap  Martin,  and  I  have  noth- 
mg  to  do. 

"We  might  motor  over  to  Eze  and  see  Alice,"  he 
suggested. 

"No;  let's  walk  up  to  Monaco.    I've  never  been 
tliere,  and  you  know  you  promised  to  take  me." 

The  Duke  was  radiant-or  as  near  radiant  as  any 
one  could  be  with  so  Httle  power  of  facial  expression. 
As  they  traversed  the  Galerie  Charles  III.,  on  their 
way  out,  he  bumped  into  people  and  overturned  chairs, 
TOth  a  joy  m  walking  with  his  mistress  like  that  of  an 
affecttonate  dog.  From  the  hotels  and  restaurants  the 
crowds  were  sauntering  towards  the  Casino,  and  there 
were  so  many  salutes  and  greetings  to  exchange  that 
only  the  most  broken  remarks  were  possible  till  they 
neared  the  sea-wall.  Paula  knew  they  offered  a  topic 
of  conversation  to  passers-by,  strangers  and  friends 
alike;  and  again  she  was  conscious  of  the  utterly  foolish 
wish  that  he  had  been  taller,  and  that  in  his  springlike 
attire  and  .oft  gray  hat  he  had  less  the  air  of  a  pros- 
6i 


THE  GLWrS  STRENGTH 

pe~u.  grocer  on  the  «age.  If  ,he  had  not  known  that 
he  wa,  only  th,rty-e.ght,  looking  it  up  for  herielf  in 

fifty.  She  blamed  herself  for  .uch  thought,  a.  the." 
when  .he  knew.  a.  well  a.  her  father  did.  hi,  m^y 
«erl.ng  vrtue.^    They  chatted  of  indifferen't  L^Z 

woLTu'V  "'"'■'  ""  Co"''=""i'>e.  and  Paula 
wondered  how  he  would  turn  the  talk  into  the  channel 
he  preforred.  She  wondered  even  more  what  reply  "he 
would  make  to  him  when  he  did.  ^' 

"Have  you  seen  your  friend  Mr.  Winship  to^ayf" 
.he  summoned  up  courage  to  ask.  a.  they  ascended  the 

totrdlotr;].^ cl"^  ""  "-  ^-  °^  *«  ^^ 

.penis tryT^tev""'"^-    ""'"  ^^  «  =«' 

Paula  caught  herself  up  before  .he  could  regret  not 

-vmg  accepted  the  Duke',  suggestion  after  lu^he^^ 

_  1  hey  know  each  other  veiy  well.  I  think  you  .aid." 

Oh  very  well.    You  mu,t  come  over  and  see  Alice'. 

Me  place  .ome  day.  too.    I  fancy  .he',  only  been 

waiting  for  some  definite—" 

"9h,  I'm  out  of  breathi"  Paula  exclaimed,  suddenly 
turning  round.  "Do  let  us  wait  a  bit  Wha"  a 
glorious  view!"  "   * 

SHd  '  !,='"«"  "f'^-ny.yelW  houses  roofed  in 
ochre  red.     On  the  height  behind,  Mete  Carlo,  with 

«eeoll Ir    ^•"='^iT=«<'  °-  "l-ve  another,  sC 

steeply  down  towards  the  sea.    Still  farther  back,  shut- 

6a 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

ting  in  the  horizon,  the  mounuini  of  dull  brown  and 
ohve  green  were  crowned  with  a  light,  gliwening  Januaiy 
•now.  On  the  pale,  bottle^reen  of  the  bay  the  Prince 
of  Monaco's  yacht  made  a  sharp  white  streak.  Gray 
green  on  the  sea  lay  the  long  stretch  of  Cap  Martin 
covered  with  hoary  olive-woods  and  dotted  with  white 
villas.  Then,  on  and  on,  into  the  east,  foHowed  the 
successive  headlands  towards  Italy,  flecked  with  snow 
at  the  highest  points,  and  unchanged,  except  in  the 
number  of  their  clustering  towns,  since  the  days  when 
the  Phoeniaans  toiled  along  in  their  high-beaked  tri- 
remes,  on  their  way  towards  Cornwall  or  Marseilles 

'It's  like  those  bits  of  landscape,"  Paula  said,  with  a 
timid  attempt  to  bring  the  conversation  back  to  the 
theme  she  had  started-"those  bits  of  landscape  which 
the  old  Itahan  masters  show  you  through  a  window, 
behind  a  Last  Supper,  or  a — portrait." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  Wiltshire  argued,  in  his  literal 
way.  Isn  t  it  rather  that  the  old  painters  give  you 
a  glimpse  of  the  life  of  their  day  ?-a  line  of  hills,  a  vil- 
lage a  castle,  a  religious  procession,  a  knight  riding  with 
his  hounds,  a  ploughman  working  in  the  fields  This 
IS  too  little  typical  for  what  they  wanted;  and  besides 
It  isn  t  the  life  that  has  grown  out  of  the  soil,  but  the  one 
which  idlers  from  other  lands  have  implanted  on  it." 
So  they  fell  to  discussing  Monte  Carlo,  and  Paula 
was  foiled  again.  She  sighed  softly  to  herself  as  they 
moved  on,  and,  after  passing  through  an  old  gray 
gjteway  vaulted  with,  yellow  arches,  came  up  into  the 
Place  du  Palais. 


THE  GlAf^rs  STRENGTH 

~J  umform.  and  n^eeping.  picturesque  blue  d^i^ 

In  the  background,  to  the  north  and  west  the  ThJl' 
O.en  rose  hke  a  „aje.rie  couchant  ti^lZ^ 
Ja?  T-  '^^  P""«P»%-    Between  it.  pawfal 

ll  h'  m  W'"/-  ^"  •°^""''  *«  'hot,  the  Ji^ 
fle«ed  all  the  .hade,  that  mingle  in  a  peacock'I  W 
whJe  farther  away,  toward,  sfain  and'Xa  it  d^^ 
ened  .nto  Homeric  wine^ark  violet.  *       ^ 

breath.       This  airl    Thi.immen.ityr' 

She  moved  a  .tep  or  two  in  advance.  ««  tl,™,»k 
«.  cn>.^e  level  P^ace  and  Jh"  m^^pft  w^ 

f^lth^- """"""'  *'  '''"°'«  "a-line'^fl  hit 
from  the  diwant  east  to  the  distant  we«  from  tfc.  ki 

vaguenes.ofPiedmont,pa«SanR;„:^;«"B"*:he^' 
past  Mentone.  past  Cap  Martin,  p^  M^tf;:^ 

pe^vSrcHetrs^i--^^^^^ 

1  his  .s  what  we  come  to  Monte  Carlo  for,"  he  said 

It  ..n  t  to  be  in  the  tide  of  fashion;  it's  becaise  nature 

seems  to  have  chosen  the  Principality  of  MoZ  "sth" 

s-ngle  pomt  of  vantage  from  which  to  behold  aU  her 

64 


THE  CHANTS  STRENGTH 

beautie*  in  one  glance.    We  loon  tire  of  Monte  Carlo, 
but  thi«— " 

With  a  gesture  that  wa»  not  without  dignity,  he  in- 
dicated the  vast  panorama  of  sea  and  sky.  of  headland 
and  town,  of  blossoming  gardens  and  snows  on  the 
hills.  Paula  thought  she  saw  anothei  far-off  opening, 
and  carefully  pointed  her  remarks  towards  it. 

"How  much  you  enjoy  beauty— I  mean  beauty  for 
Its  own  sake.  There  are  so  few  people  who  do.  Now, 
I  take  only  a  second-hand  interest  in  it.  I  like  to  have 
seen  Egypt  or  Switzerland  or  California,  in  order  to  be 
able  to  follow  with  some  intelligence  what  others  say 
about  them.  But  with  you  it's  different.  So  it  is  with 
your  sister— or  it  seemed  to  me  so  the  few  times  I've 
seen  her." 

"Oh,  Alice  is  all  right.  She  really  knows  about  it. 
and  I  don't.    She  lives  for  art  and  artists." 

"And  I'm  sure  she  does  a  lot  of  good.  I  thought 
what  you  said  about  her  last  night  was  so  charming- 
I  mean  about  her  taking  that  poor  blind  lady,  Mrs. 
Winship,  to  stay  with  you  at  Edenbridge." 

"Oh,  you'll  like  Alice  when  you   know  her  well. 
!>he  s  got  her  queer  ways,  like  any  other  old  maid  with 
ten  thousand  a  year,  but  her  heart  is  sound." 
"Tell  me  about  them— about  the  Winships." 
He  turned  to  her  with  a  faint  smile. 
'•Haven't  we  something  else  to  talk  of  first  ?" 
No,  not  first-afterwards.    Couldn't  we  go  some- 
where— out  of  the  sun— and  sit  down  ?" 
"We  should  be  likely  to  find  seats  over  there  " 
6J 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


that  clambe™  over  Ae  cUff^H  "^•'^''' «»rd.„ 

Here'i  a  good  place,  don't  you  think?" 

my  advice  f    he  queitioned,  a.  they  „t  down 
I  ou  re  iuch  i  cood  frJ.nJ  ••   i.  "«™^n. 

ulou.Iy.    "I'm  in  a^rTl' J  '  """"""d.  ttem- 

;;i.  it  abouT  me '••'^   "'"'  ""  '^'P'^'^-" 

••Partly;  but  it  isn't  only  that" 

i^;tJjrt^--.ni-P. 

fid'e'nt'hC;;."'^!;,:!;  t:-"f  f «  -  your  con. 
to  look  at,  but  at  leL T         i      "^  ^  "  "•*  """^h 

which  she  traced  ainZ,  r       •  \°*^^'  P*"'"'.  with 
■t  u<».ca  aimless  lines  in  the  sand      "H™_  j-j 
you  come  to  know  them  ?"  **°^  *'' 

66 


IllSt 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Oh.  it  wai  a  long  time  ago-let  me  lee-ten,  eleven, 
twelve-yei,  it  muM  be  quite  fifteen  years  ago.    After 
my  mother  died  and  Alice  wa.  free,  the  went  to  V.  li^ 
for  a  year  or  two  to  itudy  art.     I„  the  atelier  where  ,,S 
worked  she  fell  in  with  Marah  Winihip." 
"U  that  the  sister  of  the  man  I  saw  last  niplu  .  ' 
Yes,  an  older  sister— a  good  deal  older.    Sli 
be  somewhere  about  Alice's  age,  not  far  off  '  fV 
"And  does  she  paint,  too  ?"  ^ 

"Yes,  poor  thing." 
"Why  do  you  say  poor  thing?" 
"Because  she's  had  such  a  hard  life.    She  had  cn|. 
the  smallest  kind  of  talent,  if  she  had  any  at  all,  and  yet 
she  made  herself  a  painter  by  sheer  determination  and 
pluck.    I  ve  heard  Alice  say  that,  in  the  atelier,  they 
used  to  thmk  she  couldn't  possibly  succeed,  and  yet  she 
did-in  a  measure.    '  I  had  to  succeed,'  she  has  told  me 
herself-but  that  was  afterwards,  when  Alice  used  to 
nave  them  at  Edenbridge." 
"Why  had  she  to  succeed  ?" 

"You  see,  their  father  was  dead,  and  they  had  lost 
all  their  money.  There  was  a  mother  to  be  taken  care 
of— a  splendid,  majestic  creature,  when  first  I  knew 
them,  but  already  growing  blind.  Then  there  was 
this  brother — " 
"But  he's  a  man." 

"I'm  speaking  of  fifteen  years  ago.    He  was  only  a 
lad  then.    The  sister  thought  he  had  it  in  him  to  be- 
come one  of  the  great  portrait-painters  of  the  day,  and 
so  she  brought  him  to  Paris  to  give  him  the  best  chance. 
67 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


By  Jove!  she's  been  a  plucky  one!    I'v-  „ 

"No,"  he  replied,  rather  blankly. 

"Our  family— my  father.     Oh,  Duke  I  J,J„'.  i. 
anything  about  it  till  last  night,  Ind  tc^aV?? ',^"°^ 
^  were  a  band  of  robbers.    When  I  ^nY   /f  "  "^ 
we've  Jved,  and  the  way  they^L'd-'''  °'*'  ^^ 

off,  SlLrg"'  '*'"  ''  "''■•  ^•""'■"g'^  -  ^he  broke 

™n^r;o^l^2M^-^- 

father,  Duke."  "  *""  »  ""y 

to  H^!!!"*  "^^  ""^°"  ^°"  »'-'''"•'  bo  in  a  huro. 
"I  know,  but  I  can't  help  it.    It'.  l.t-  ,  l-  j    , 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"This  Miss  Winship's  father  was  my  father's  com- 
petitor  and  my  father  crushed  him  and  ruined  him 
ana  killed  h.m.    He  died  in  the  middle  of  all  sorts  of 
lawsuits,  and  then  my  father  ruined  the  widow— the 
poor  lady,  who,  you  say,  is  blind.     Eveiything  they 
possessed  came  to  us-I  can't  exactly  tell  you  how.  but 
my  cousin  George  would  explain  it  if  you  asked  him." 
I  can  guess." 
"Yes,  because  you  understand  about  business.     But 
It  s  all  so  cruel.  Duke.     I  spend  a  great  deal  of  money, 
but  I  can  t  spend  it  fast  enough.     I  don't  know  what 
to  buy  that  1  haven't  bought  over  and  over  again,  and 
yet  the  money  heaps  itself  up  in  spite  of  me.    And  now 
when  you  tell  me  of  that  poor  Marah.  working  against 
tlw  pin,  trying  to  achieve  the  impossible,  and  doing 

Her  tone  rose,  with  a  sharp,  nervous  inflection,  till 
she  found  herself  unable  to  go  on. 

"There's  one  thing  we  must  never  forget."  Wiltshire 
said,  kindly.  "We're  the  inheritors  of  the  past;  we're 
not  the  creators  of  it  All  sorts  of  complicated  situa. 
tions  come  down  to  us,  and  in  them  we  can  only  erope 
our  way.  You  inherit  the  situation  your  father  made 
for  you  and  Mr.  Winship  inherits  that  which  his  father 
made  for  him.  You  and  I  know  too  Kttle  to  judge 
either  side.  We're  too  remote  from  all  the  conditions 
to  apportion  out  the  real  rights  and  wrongs—" 

terlv  .?  '^'f°?/'  ^f"'"  '"''""Pt'd,  somewhat  bit- 
terly, we  should  settle  down  complacemly  to  accept 
things  as  they  are."  *^ 

69 


ill 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Not  everything,  unhappily," 
But  I  could  adjust  this." 

don  t  know  how  much-but  it  must  be  a  larT^um 
-and  Id  g,ve  it  all  to  them.    You  could  hT»  T 

'^::^r^£^r^ '  -^^  ^^  ^^  -^^^ 

be^ffended.  you   kn^.     They  wouldn't   L««\' 

"Oh  yes   they  would.    Everybody  listen,  when  it's 
a  qu^fon  of  getting  money.     You'd  beg  it  as  a  favor 

She  ended  abruptly,  with  a  quaver  in  her  voice,  like 
70 


THE  OAKTS  STRENGTH 

jMi.de  wail.    Wiltshire  sp„„g  to  his  feet,  and  took 

turning,  he  resumed  his  seat  beside  her. 

You  mustn't  do  anything  rash  in  the  matter  "  he 

li^^VatZ""™"'"'''''--''"^'"'-^^^ 

"I  don't,"  she  answered,  quiclcly.    "J  kno_,  u.  j; j„v 
do  anything  wrong.    I  .hoL  ^.r  admTot  Wise! 

She  did  not  finish  the  sentence,  and  Wiltshire   lean- 
.ng  towards  her,  laid  hi,  hand  on  hers.  ' 

Dear  Paula,"  he  whispered,  "couldn't  we  let  it  be 

unt.1  you  and  I  could  manage  it  together  ?"  ' 

She  d,d  not  withdraw  her  hand  from  his  touch,  but 

the  eyes  she  hfted  towards  him  were  full  of  the  mute 

»ppeal  of  an  animal  begging  ,o  be  let  off.  " 

rou  ye   never  answered   my  question-my  ereat 

question."  he  went  on,  tenderly.  '   ^ 

;;i've  been  trying  to,"  she  managed  to  say. 

And  you  don't  find  it  easy  >" 
She  shook  her  head,  letting  her  eyes  fall  agaia 

But  you  ve  been  making  the  effort  f"       ^ 
_  ^es,    she  murmured,  just  audibly. 
And  It's  been  a  great  effort?" 
**  V es." 

maicf  if  ^"*' '"  ^""'  *"'  ^°"  ''°"''  f"'  *«  'tt-ngth  to 

"Vm  trying  to,"  she  said,  hurriedly.    »l  want  to  " 

You  want  to?    In  what  way?"  '  ^""°- 

Again  she  lifted  her  appealing  eyes  to  him. 
71 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"I-l-^nt  to  please  father."  .he  .temmered.  "and 
makeyouhappy,  and— and— "  ' 

"And  sacrifice  yourself,"  he  added 

.h:;^ri:LM:,zir^*''""°''°^--n««b„t 

She  nodded  her  assent.    A  few  seconds  passed  in 
sdence^when  Wiltshire  slowly  withdrew  his  h'and  and 

hfm^'"  nS'  ^k"''t'"'''  '""""6  sharply  toward, 
mm.  TTiatisntwhatlmeanttosay.  You  haven't 
undemood  me.    I'm  ready  to  be  your  wife,  ifitl^, 

know  how  I  honor  you,  how  good  I  think  you,  how-" 

only  thought  that  perhaps  it  might  be  possible,  after  all 
for^a  woman  to  do  a  little  more  than'  honor'  me!  and 

tty^'leTmr-'  "'"  '''"'"  '""'*"''  -"""'^    "^  - 
"Oh,  but  you  have  tried.     And  such  things  as  that 

ornltTall  T  "^T  '^7  '^°""=  »P°-neouTi; 
or  not  at  all.  I  m  not  hurt.  I  know  you  far  too  wel 
to  hmk  you  would  hurt  anything  that  breathlrrnd 
still  l«s  me.  But  I'll  tell  you  something.  We've  at 
ways  been  good  friends,  haven't  we-thaf  is.  fo'thrt 
or  four  years  past  ?" 

"Very." 

"And  I've  rather  spoiled  things  between  us  by  bring- 


THE  GIANTS  STEIENGTH 

tag  up  thi,  subject  which.  I  might  have  known  fa,„ 
the  first,  was  impossible.  Suppose  we  go  bade  to  wh« 
we  were  before.  Suppose  we  blot  aU  Uiis  out,  as^f" 
had^never  happened.    Wouldn't  that  be  a  relief  to 

"Tf '"  *'"  "'*'•  '"  *"  unsteady  voice. 
h„„-      \T''"  ^°  "•    ^  "'"'''  -ndertake  to  give  up 
said  "no     B°.Tr''  u  "''°'"  ^'^  '""^'^'^  ='•'-'"'«'' 
.f^m  the  end.  I  have  to  bury  them-why.  then,  we'U 

tean  falhng  .„   spite  of  her  efforts   to   keep  them 

"Don't  say  that,"  he  protested.  "You  speak  of 
goodness  only  because  you  don't  know-love.  But 
you  re  tired."  he  added,  rising.  "Wouldn't  you  like 
me  to  take  you  home  ?  I  dare  say  we  shall  find  a  fiacre 
|n^Ae  Place  that  will  take  us  down  by  the  carria^ 

Late  that  evening,  when  Paul  Trafford  kissed  his 

t^stZr  "y  r'-'g'".  "he  twined  her  arm  ove 
his  shoulder  and  detained  him. 

"I've   seen   the   Duke."  she   whispered,  "and   he 
wouldn't  have  me." 

"He—"  Trafford  began,  in  a  puzzled  voice. 
He  thought  It  was  a  sacrifice  on  my  part,"  she  ex- 

S't  Ut  r  "\"  ""■r'-  g"-i"e  'y«:  "and  he 
wouldn  t  let  me  make  it.     It's  all  over." 

*  73 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"And  would  it  have   been  a  — «acrifir.>"  k.  j 
manded  wjth  .haggy  b^w.  d^^n   ^^fc      "^  "" 
Not  .f  I  could  have  pleawd  vou  " 

"Tl,en"l''K T*  ",  ^l^"'  ^  ""^  ^^  her  again. 


CHAPTER  vn 


"FM  going  to  do  it,  Laura."  Paula  whispered,  a» 
Ithey  approached   the  luncheon  -  table.      "I   mean 

Ifem^""'    ^'"'^  ^'  ''"  "'''*""'  ""**  ^''"  e°'"6  'hia 
There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  Mrs.  Trafford 
entered  the  room,  followed  by  George  Trafford  and 
little  Paul. 

There  had  been  several  reasons  for  their  return  to 
Pans  m  the  early  days  of  Februaor.  The  protracted 
absence  of  Mr.  Trafford  in  Germany  and  Russia  wa. 
the  one  they  spoke  of  openly.  The  Duke's  silent  de- 
parture from  Monte  Carlo,  taking  the  spirit  out  of  their 
little  band.^s  a  subject  they  mentioned  to  one  another 
only  when  Paula  was  not  there.  The  sudden  anxiety 
of  Mrs.  Trafford  about  her  own  health,  and  her  haste 
to  see  a  doctor  in  Paris,  was  a  matter  that  they  dated 
not  discuss  at  all. 

"Where's  everybody  going  this  afternoon?"  Mrs. 
Trafford  demanded  a  half-hour  later,  with  the  brisk- 
ness  which  her  courage  enabled  her  to  maintain. 

WTiere  are  you  going.  Aunt  Trafford  ?"  Laura  in- 
quired, warily. 

"Oh,  I've  got  a  lot  of  things  to  do.   First,  I  have  the 
75 


i 


THE  GJANTS  STRENGTH 

committM  for  the  Bazar  de  la  Charite;  the  Prince«e  de 
fnedland  counti  on  me  ab«)lutely  thi.  year.    Then 

h!1'  'T  *°  't  "•"*'"«/•  ^'  ^-  ""«"'  Art-Studentt' 
«ome  Then  I  mm.  drop  in  at  the  Ducheife  de 
Dodovdle.  gouier.  By-the^y,  ,r^i  ^^  ^ack 
and  take  you  there,  Laura.    Ycu'    ^ant  .ome  tea." 

1  Simply  „„,/  go  to  the  Bon  "  larche."  Mn.  Georee 
Trafford  dec  ared.  "I  have  all  «,rt.  of  thing,  to  b^ 
for  Paul.  I'll  get  my  tea  at  Rumpelmeyer'.  oTcolo.^^ 
bm  I  on  the  way  back." 

"Then  couldrft  you  come.  Paula?"  Mr..  Trafford 
continued.  "I  hate  going  into  crowded  room,  alone- 
fptciMy  m  French  houses;  and  I  speak  so  badly  " 

Paula  knew  the  moment  had  come,  and  nerved  "her- 
•eu  to  reply  m  her  usual  tone. 

could.  I  ve  got  to  see  about  sittings  for  a  portrait  I'm 
gomg  to  have  painted."  *^ 

,  ,?'  f?""*.  *°  P""'*  "  if  her  commonplace  word. 
feM  with  curious  solemnity  on  the  stillness  of  the  room. 
She  knew  that,  in  spite  of  herself,  she  was  coloring. 

George  Trafford  took  his  cigar  from  his  lip,  Ind 
looked  round  at  her  over  his  shoulder. 

PaZ°"  .T*^  "  ^  '^'"  "'•■"'"'i"''  of  yourself, 
Paula,     he  observed.    "You  had  a  portrait  last  yea; 

^.^"?'"f  Duran,andone  byChartran  the  year  before." 
I  don  t  hke  either  of  them,"  she  returned,  her  eye. 
•earching  the  depths  of  her  empty  coffee^up. 

And  yet  they  weren't  considered  to  be  what  you'd 
call  unfair  to  the  original,"  he  went  on. 
76 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"I'm  iure  I  don't  know  where  you'll  hang  it,"  M«. 
Trafford  complained,  looking  round  the  splendid  room. 
If  you  put  another  item  on  the  walls  of  this  house  we'll 
smother." 

*|I  was  thinking  of  making  it  a  present  to  George." 
Oh,  don't  put  the  responsibility  of  stowing  it  away 
on  me,"  Trafford  cried.  !.aura  and  I  have  already 
more  stuff  than  we  can  handle." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,  George,  dear,"  Laura 
argued.  "It  might  be  nice  in  years  to  come  for  Paul. 
We've  got  so  little  in  the  way  of  ancestral  things  to 
leave  him.  And  they  say  that  in  forty  or  fifty  years 
from  now— that  would  be  easily  within  Paul's  lifetime 
—some  of  the  great  portrait-painters  of  the  present  day 
will  have  become  what  Romney  and  Gainsborough  are 
for  us." 

"It's  a  good  while  to  look  ahead  to,"  Trafford  laugh- 
ed. "But  I  suppose  if  ancestors  hadn't  had  foresight 
descendants  wouldn't  have  privileges.  Who's  your 
man,  Paula  ?  Give  us  an  American  this  rime,  won't 
you  ?    Say  Sargent,  or  some  of  those  fellows." 

"He  is  an  American,"  Paula  replied,  "but  he  isn't 
Sargent.  He's  a  new  painter.  I  believe  he  has  re- 
markable talent.  We  spoke  of  him  one  night  at 
Monte  Carlo.  You  told  me  about  him,  George.  His 
name  is  Winship." 

Mrs.  Trafford  gave  a  little  scream  and  let  her  coffee- 
cup  fall  with  a  crash  on  the  floor. 

"Paula  Trafford,"  she  cried,  "if  you  want  to  kiU  me, 
do  it  now;  don't  let  it  be  by  inches." 
77 


ni 


THE  CLWrs  STRENGTH 

exlie"'^..?h?  ^T.  *""i"  ^'"''  «»'"™«''.  in 
o^^d-a_„d  h..  mother  i.  bli„d-,„d  the/«  «. 

"Goodnc.  knows."  Mr..   Trafford    expowulated. 

huntmg  up  your  own  f,d,er',  enemie,.    I  don't  M^l 
the  portra.t  i.  anything  but  a  pretext  for-" 

tenwtd  '"'   u""'  '^"'^°"''  '•"'••"  Mr..  George  in- 

errtipted,  .n  her  reawnable  tone,  "don't  you  Uunk 

It.  just  what  Uncle  Trafford  would  like?    HaWt 

beaten  and  the  W  and  the  sore  and  hold  out  the 
helping  h„d        hem?    I,  there  any  one  who  know^ 
belter  than  he  how  to  uke  the  sting  from  hostiir? 
And  ., n't  „  p,„    f  ^,  responsibility  ^ofwealtT?^ 
.      Oh,  you  needn't  tell  mel"  Mrs.  Trafford  easoed 
.mpanently     She  disliked  so  much  having  theS 

Turned'       /"  •"  ""^  '>'  '^"-  ^--^  'h'at  sherfS 
hurned  m  advance  to  take  it.    "I  kn,w  better  than  anv 

to  mum  good  for  evil  i,  the  motto  of  his  life,  it  maTwe  i 
be  that  of  ours.  Paula,  my  child,"  she  added.  Zl" 
qmck  change  of  front,  "if  it  be  your  will  to  he I'p'hes^ 
People,  do  ,t.  I  withdraw  all  objection.  If  you  li^ 
78 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

![ll«^^  *\'  ^"u"','-    ^  '^"'^*  "  '«"'''»  P'"«<  your 

^utit    Ye,.  I  W/ pay  for  it.    I  don't  cire  What  if 
costs. 

"Thank  you.  mother,  dear,"  Paula  .aid.  ri.ing.  eager 
to  escape,  now  that  her  point  wa.  gained.  "I'd  rather 
pay  for  it  myself." 

"All  I  beg  of  you,"  Mr,.  TrafFord  cried,  a.  Paula 
left  the  room,    •,  not  to  bring  the  young  man  here." 

But  where  can  I  have  my  .itting,?"  Paula  que^ 
tioned,  from  the  doorway. 

"Where  you  like.    Have  them  in  the  Louvre,  or  in 

hri!^tK    ™'  "  '"T*""  ''"'  y°"  P'~*«:   ''«  don't 
bring  the  young  man  here.    I  .hould  faint  if  I  «w  him. 

rake  a  "jaid  with  you,  take  two  maid,,  take  ten  maid. 
If  you  will,  but  don't-bring-the  young-man  here." 
Do  you  think  that',  wise?"  Trafford  que«ioned; 
but  Paula  wa,  already  out  of  hearing. 

Half  an  hour  later  her  coupe'  turned  from  the  Rue 
Mazanne  into  the  narrow  Passage  de  la  Nativite  and 
,topped  before  an  ancient,  fortress-like  gate.  Trace, 
of  Renaissance  sculpture  were  visible  on  the  battered 
stone,  while  in  a  niche  over  the  portal  stood  a  crowned 
but  time-worn  statue  of  the  Virgin  and  Child.  When 
the  footman  clanged  the  gong  a  wrinkled  old  woman 
opened  a  small  door  cautiously.  Paula  descended  and 
asked  the  way  to  Mr.  Winship's  studio. 

A  minute  afterward,  she  found  herself  in  a  spacious 
court-yard,  paved   with   flat   stone,  which   rime   had 
forced  mto  vanous  levels,  the  interstice,  being  filled 
79 


MlOOCOrr   >E$OlUTION    TEST   CH«>T 

(ANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2| 


^  APPLIED  IM/IGE    In 

^S-i  1653  East   Main   Street 

S'.g  Rochester,    Nen   York         14609       USA 

■1^  (?'6)   *82  -  0300  -  fhone 

^S  (^'6)  288  -  5989  -  Foi. 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

here  and  there  with  tufts  of  grass.  Low,  weather- 
worn gray  buildings  in  the  Renaissance  style  surround- 
ed the  court-yard  on  three  sides.  In  the  centre  of  the 
space  tlie  stone  basin  of  a  long-disused  fountain  was 
gradually  crumbling  away,  throwing  slightly  out  of  the 
perpendicular  the  elaborate  wrought-iron  tracery  which 
rose  above  it,  surmounted  by  a  cross.  The  place  was 
evidently  an  old  convent,  violated  probably  at  the  Revo- 
lution, and  since  then  become  one  of  those  spots,  more 
common  in  Paris  than  elsewhere,  in  which  poverty  can 
take  refuge  and  still  keep  some  sense  of  dignity.  To 
Paula,  picking  her  way  across  the  court  towards  the 
entrance  the  concierge  had  pointed  out,  everything 
about  her  seemed  oppressively  ancient.  It  was  pict- 
uresque enough;  in  a  mournful  way  it  was  even  stately; 
but  to  think  of  any  one  actually  living  there  made  her 
shudder.  The  Winships  themselves  were  well  content 
to  have  discovered,  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  so  charming 
a  retreat,  while  Paula  could  think  only  of  outcasts  seek- 
ing shelter  among  broken,  empty  tombs. 

Now  that  she  was  here,  she  had  none  of  the  ner- 
vousness or  fluttering  of  the  heart  from  which  she  had 
often  sufl^ered  in  thinking  the  matter  over.  On  the 
contrary,  in  her  velvet  and  sables  she  felt  herself  im- 
posing. The  ease  with  which  the  conversation  at  the 
luncheon-table  had  passed  o(F  gave  to  the  undertaking 
an  air  of  being  a  matter  of  course.  Besides,  after  all, 
there  was  no  tremendous  difficulty  to  overcome.  She 
would  have  such  a  conversation  as  she  had  held  at 
other  times  with  M.  Chartran  or  M.  Carolus  Duran, 
80 


I 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

and  would  come  away.  On  the  question  of  price  she 
would,  naturally,  have  to  surprise  the  young  artist; 
but  such  surprises  were  generally  borne  by  their 
recipients  with  good  grace.  For  everything  else  she 
counted  on  her  own  dignity,  tact,  and  knowledge  of  the 
world. 

The  entry  was  so  dark,  and  the  slippery  stairs  were 
so  steep,  that  on  the  landing  Paula  waited  for  a  minute 
beside  a  window  to  take  breath.  The  view  here  was 
less  severe  than  that  below.  In  the  foreground,  just 
beyond  the  court,  there  were  gardens— such  friendly, 
ancient,  unexpected  gardens,  hidden  from  the  streets, 
as  one  finds  everywhere  in  Paris,  and  nowhere  else  in 
the  world.  Farther  off  rose  the  venerable  tower 
of  St.-Germain-des-Pres;  farther  off  still,  the  square 
of  the  Odeon  displayed  its  simple  lines,  while,  as 
culminating  -  point  to  the  prospect,  the  columned 
dome  of  the  Pantheon  lifted  itself  into  the  winter 
air. 

As  Paula  gazed  outward  she  rehearsed  once  more 
the  first  few  phrases  she  should  use  to  Winship.  Sud- 
denly she  seemed  to  hear  music — the  faint  tinkling  of 
an  air  with  which  she  was  familiar.  When  she  turned 
from  the  window  to  go  up  the  second  flight  of  stairs 
the  sounds  became  more  distinct. 

Presently  she  heard  a  voice  singing — a  woman  s 
voice,  sweet  and  in  tune,  but  thin  and  worn,  like  the 
tone  of  the  old  piano  on  which  the  singer  was  playing 
her  accompaniment.  Once  on  the  landing,  Paula 
could  hear  the  words  quite  plainly: 
8l 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

«0>r  moor  and  fen,  o'er  crag  and  torrent,  till 
A    .     ...      ""  '''g"t  '«  gone. 
Which  I  have  Joved  long  since,  and  lost  awhile." 
There  was  an  Am^n,  just  as  they  sing  in  churches 
and  then  the  tinkhng  music  ceased.     Paula  tc!^k  a' 
step  forward  towards  the  closed  door  through  which 
the  sounds  had  proceeded.     It  was  that  indicated  to 

taken^  WhT?"'  ''"'  t"  ^"^"'^  '°  '  ^  herself  mis- 
llif\  uf"  "''''  ''^^y  *°  ''^=''  ^  ■"  Winship  him- 
sell  she  had  not  counted  on  finding  herself  face  to  face 
w,th  the  women  of  his  family.  But  no!  she  was  not 
mistaken^  It  was  the  door.  The  card  on  it  bore  the 
name  "  W.nsh.p."  She  was  half  inclined  to  turn  away 
Tttemion  '"^'^'P"'''''^'  ''"""^"6    voice  arrested    h^ 

coS"g;°"'  ''"''"  ''"■     T""'''  -X  -e-vety 

whlh'  r,""'""'""  '■''^  """  '^°^'  ^"■Ph"''^  distinctness 
wh.ch  belongs  to  aged  persons  of  strong  will.  Paula 
was  about  to  nng,  when  the  voice  began  again,  r^ 
citmg  m  a  loud.  dear,  trembling  monotone: 

"Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom. 

The  n,ght  ,5  dark  and  I  am  far  from  home, 
■     „        .„,  ^'M  Thou  me  on. 

Keep  Thou  my  feet;    I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene,-  one  step  enough  for  me." 

"One  step  enough  for  me-one  step  enough  for  me  " 
the  vo  e  repeated,  softly,  like  an  echo,  and  Paula  sum- 
moned  up  force  to  ring. 

82 


THE  GJANTS  STRENGTH 

There  was  a  second  or  two  of  bustling  movement 
withm,  and  then  the  door  was  opened. 

For  a  brief  instant  Paula  hesitated,  in  surprise.  She 
had  expeaed  a  servant  of  some  sort,  and  held  her  card, 
half-drawn  from  her  card-case,  in  her  hand.  Before 
her  she  saw  a  little,  gray-haired  lady,  with  snapping 
bUck  eyes  and  a  face  that  might  have  betokened  any 
of  the  complex  shades  from  cynical  kindliness  to  jest- 
ing  seventy.  Everything  about  her  was  austerely  sim- 
ple, from  the  parting  of  her  gray  hair  to  the  falling  of 
her  black  gown,  covered  up,  just  now,  with  a  hu-.e 
whjte  apron  like  a  pinafore.  Paula  had  a  minute  of 
feeling  herself  ver^  tall  and  very  much  overdressed. 

Is  Mr.  Wmship  at  home  ?"  she  managed  to  ask  at 
last. 

"If  you'll  be  good  enough  to  come  in,  I'll  see  " 

The  voice  was  hard,  the  utterance  crisp,  and  the 
smile  that  accompanied  the  words  had  the  bright  flash 
of  winter  sunlight. 

Marah  Winship  led  the  way  in,  with  a  quick,  awkward 
motion  that  bespoke  a  nature  too  busy  to  think  of  grace 
Paula  followed,  and  after  a  step  or  two  stood  still, 
with  another  slight  shock  of  surprise. 

It  was  not  like  going  into  any  other  house  she  had 
ever  visited.  There  was  no  hallway  or  anteroom  or 
vestibule.  On  crossing  the  threshold  she  passed  at 
once  into  the  full  domesric  life  of  the  family.  She  had 
entered  an  immense,  barnlike  apartment,  which  was 
evidently  studio  and  living-room  in  one.  The  floor 
was  bare,  except  for  a  few  of  the  commoner  sorts  of 
83 


•'  I 
I 

fl 
ri 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Oriental  rugs.  The  walls  were  hung  with  an  ordinary 
dark-red  stuff  which  formed  a  background  for  the  un- 
framed  sketches— ponraits,  landscapes,  and  architect- 
ural drawings— pinned  up  here  and  there  against  it. 
At  the  far  end  of  the  room  there  was  an  easel  on  which 
the  work  was  covered  up  with  a  loosely  thrown  cloth. 
A  couple  of  lay-figures  stood  in  grotesque  attitudes  in  a 
corner,  while  near  them  was  an  open  grand-piano  of 
old-fashioned  make.  It  was  only  vaguely  that  Paula 
took  these  details  in.  for  after  the  first  glance  her  eyes 
were  drawn  to  a  tall  figure  seated  quite  near  her,  in  a 
high,  thronelike  chair. 

Paula  knew  at  once  that  this  was  the  woman  who  had 
done  battle  with  her  father,  until  he  had  been  obliged 
to  club  her  down."    The  immediate  impression  was 
that  of  a  person  sitting  very  still  and  e.ect,  her  feet 
planted  firmly  on  a  red  cushion,  and  a  large  volu  ne— 
evidently  a  Bible-in  raised  letters,  open  on  her  Knees. 
Over  the  white  hair  a  lace  scarf,  of  beautiful  design 
came  to  a  point  on  the  forehead,  and  fell  in  lappets  to 
the  shoulders.     The  severity  of  the  black  gown  was  re- 
heved  by  a  fichu  of  soft  white  stuff,  fastened  on    the 
breast  with   a    large,   old-fashioned    brooch   set  with 
emeralds.     Clearly,  the  face  had  been  handsome  once 
and  even  haughty;  but  now  all  that  had  been  passionate 
or  s';lt-willed  in  it  was  subdued  by  time  and  sorrow  into 
sweertess.     There  was  no  color  there  at  all— only  the 
waxlike  transparency  of  the  aged.     As  Paula  entered, 
the  sightless  eyes  were  raised  towards  her,  as  if  with  one 
more  useless,  piteous  attempt  to  pierce  the  darkness. 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Marah  Winship  had  allowed  Paula  to  stand  still  a 
moment  and  gaze.    It  was  one  of  her  rare  bits  of  pleas- 
ure—that instant  when  a  stranger  beheld  her  mother 
for  the  first  time  and  betrayed  his  astonished  admira- 
tion.    It  was  the  old  maid's  only  coquetry;  it  was  all 
that  remained  of  the  vivacity  and  pride  that  had  been 
hers  in  the  days  before  the  family  disasters.     When 
ruin  overtook  them,  she  gave  up  once  and  forever  all 
impossible  hopes  for  herself.     She  had  not  been  with- 
out a  young  woman's  love  of  happy  trifles;  nor  without 
a  pleasant  vague  anticipation  of  a  home,  with  children 
of  her  own;  nor  without  the  half-shy,  half-rapturous 
thought  that  if  a  certain  one  of  the  young  men  with 
whom  she  danced  during  the  winter  season  in  Boston 
ever  asked  her,  it  would  not  be  in  vain.     But  when  the 
great  financial  battle  was  fought  to  a   finish,  she    re- 
nounced everything  of  that  kind.     She  saw  her  life's 
work  before  her.     It  was,  first,  to  make  a  man  of  Roger, 
the  boy  who  was  so  much  younger  than  herself  as  to 
seem  less  like  a  brother  than  a  son;  then  it  was  to  shield 
from  the  crudest  winds  of  adversity  the  mother  who  had 
done  her  best  and  failed. 

She  crushed  out  her  own  longings  with  that  cynical 
suppression  of  regret  which  some  women  can  command, 
and  set  herself  to  her  task.  She  learned  the  meaning 
of  sacrifice,  privation,  penury,  failure,  and,  at  last,  of 
famt,  almost  pitiable,  success.  But  she  achieved  her 
purpose— she  made  a  man  of  Roger;  and  during  the 
long,  hard  years  Mrs.  Winship  never  knew  how  long 
and  hard  they  were.  Marah  protected  her  at  least  from 
85 


i 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

that.  \s  the  mother  grew  older  and  blinder,  it  became 
easier  to  deceive  her-easier  to  make  her  believe  there 
was  plenty  of  food  because  she  had  enough,  easier  to 
persuade  her  that  life  was  happy  because  she  knew 
only  sm.l.  Out  of  the  wreck  of  their  pretty  things 
Marah  had  snatched  a  few  old  jewels,  a  few  odds  and 
ends  of  lace-not  much,  but  enough  to  keep  alive  in 
her  mothers  consciousness  the  conviction  t!,at  she  was 
still  a  lady.  Marah  was  satisfied  with  that,  as  far  as 
a  hungry,  unfed  heart  is  ever  satisfied.  The  day's 
work  was  always  lighter  if  some  one  pointed  to  her 
mother  and  whispered,  "Isn't  she  a  picture!" 

Paula  did  not  say  that,  but  she  was  conscious  of  an 
overwhelming  sentiment  of  pity.  It  was  not  only  pity 
't  was  a  feeling  of  responsibility.  Everything  about  her 
was  to  her  eyes  so  poverty-stricken-while  she  was 
spending  the  money  which  would  have  provided  for 
this  helplessness  the  setting  to  which  it  was  entitled. 
Ounng  the  second  or  two  that  had  passed  since  she  en- 
tered the  room,  her  mind  had  worked  faster  than  it 
had  ever  worked  before.  Wild  s,>,emes  rose  con- 
fusedly in  her  heart,  and  it  was  almost  exultantly  that 
she  felt  It  in  her  power  to  change  all  this,  making  amends 
for  a  cruel  past  by  a  sudden  raining  down  of  hap- 
pmess  Notwithstanding  her  sense  of  the  wrong  that 
had   been  done,  she   could  not   help    feeling,  as   she 

mmher"         '''"*' ''"'  '°°'"'  ^  ""''  "''*  "  ^"''y  ^od- 
But  when  Marah  Winship  spoke,  Paula  was  recalled, 
of  necessity,  to  the  circumstances  of  the  moment 
86 


THE  QANTS  STRENGTH 

"I  think  my  brother  is  in.  I  will  go  and  see.     May 
i  ask  what  name  I  ought  to  give  him  ?" 
"Miss  Trafford— Miss  Paula  Trafford  " 
She  spoke  slowly  and  distinctly;  she  meant  also  to 
speak  reassunngly.     She  hoped  the  ver^  sound  of  the 
name  would  be  the  signal  that,  after  the  long  years,  the 
v.ctc.^  were  coming  to  give  back  the  spoils  and  hold  out 
the  ohve-branch  of  peace.     She  was  surprised  to  see 
Marah  start  and  grow  pale,  while  her  black  eyes  snapped 
with  a  sparkle  like  that  of  electricity. 

.   "'7'  f?," '  '*''"''  '">'  '"■°'''"  ""  be  in,"  she  re- 
turned,  coldly. 

^^••I^  want  very  much  to  see  him.     Won't  you  make 

Paula  spoke  in  the  gentle  tone  of  command  that 
came  from  her  sense  of  power.  Marah  Winship  had 
suffered  too  many  defeats  at  the  hands  of  wealth  to  dare 
to  disobey. 

"Mother,"  she  said,  turning  abruptly  to  the  figure 
m  the  thronelike  chair,  "this  is  Miss  Trafford-Miss 
Paula  Trafford.  She  has  come  to  see  Roger;  Fm 
going  to  look  for  him." 

•l*'\f '^^,^^•  '"'''"8  Paula  alone,  and  face  to  face 
with  Mrs.  Winship. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  during  which  the 
blind  woman  s  fingers  trembled  violently  over  the  raised 
letters  of  the  open  page.  The  lips  quivered  as  if  un- 
able to  frame  a  word. 

"Trafford!"  she  murmured  at  last.  "Did  mv 
daughter  say  Trafford?"  ^ 

87 


THE  GIA^4TS  STRENGTH 


r 


"I'm  Paul  TrafFord's  daughter,"  I'aula  answered, 
firmly.  She  would  have  no  misunderstanding  or 
mistake. 

"  I  know  the  name,"  Mrs.  VVinship  said,  making  an 
effort  towards  self-control,  "but  i  haven't  heard  it  lor 
many  years." 

"  I'm  afraid  it  may  be  painful  to  you,"  Paula  felt  im- 
pelled to  say;  "but — " 

"It  used  to  be;  it  used  to  be.  But  ohi  my  dear, 
when  the  race  is  as  nearly  run  as  mine  is,  and  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  opening  before  your  eyes,  nothing  is 
very  painful  any  more." 

Paula  was  not  expecting  this.  She  moved  uneasily. 
The  sound  caught  Mrs.  Winship's  ear. 

"Come  nearer  to  me,  dear,"  she  quavered,  holding 
out  a  delicate  white  hand,  on  which  a  diamond  or  two 
still  twinkled.    "Come  here;  sit  down;  let  me  see  you." 

There  was  a  tall,  straight-backed  chair  beside  her. 
Paula  drew  it  nearer  to  the  blind  woman  and  sat 
down. 

"I  was  almost  afraid  to  come,"  she  began  to  mur- 
mur, but  Mrs.  Winship  interrupted  her. 

"You  needn't  be.  No  one  can  live  to  my  age  with- 
out learning  that  in  this  world  we  can't  afford  to 
cherish  enmities — not  against  any  one — not  against  any 
one.  Give  me  your  hand,  my  dear,"  she  added, 
groping  in  the  darkness. 

Paula  stretched  out  both  her  hands.  She  could 
not  speak  for  fear  of  crying. 

"You're  young,  I  see,"  Mrs.  Winship  went  on,  letting 
88 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

her   touch   wander   lightly   ovr.    Paula's   gloves      "I 
hegm  to  be  al.le  to  distinguish  the  young  from  the  old 
by  little  signs.     But  of  course  you're  young.     I   re- 
member that  Mr.  TrafFord  had  a  little  girl  at  the  time 
I  used  to — to  see  him." 
"I  knew  noihing  till  a  short  time  ago—" 
"About  all  our  .roubles,"  Mrs.  Winship  finished  as 
Paula  hesitated.     "Of  course  you  didn't,  dear.     How 
should  you  ?     As  I  look  back,  I  can  see  th-t  we  knew 
very  httle  ourselves.     We  were  like  children,  wrestling 
in  the  darkness,  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice.     And  it 
wasn  t  worth  while— it  wasn't  worth  vhile." 
She  sighed,  and  Paula  felt  again  the  desire  to  cr> 

My  husband  is  gone,"  Mrs.  Winship  quavered  on 
He  sees  life-this  life-already  from  another  point  of 
view  And  I  begin  to  see  it,  too.  That's  because  I'm 
blind  perhaps.  The  spiritual  vision  becomes  won- 
derfully clear  when  the  earthly  eyes  are  closed.  There 
are  times  when  I  feel  as  if  I  could  look  up  with  Stephen 
and  see  the  heavens  opened  and  the  Son  of  Man  stand- 
ing on  the  right  hand  of  God.  How  should  I  keep  hard 
feelings  when  I'm  so  blest  ?  1  used  to  have  them;  but 
not  now,  not  now.     I'm  glad  to  see  you,  dear." 

"If  there's  anything  I  can  do  for  you—"  Paula  tried 
to  say,  conscious  of  her  ow    awkwardness. 

"No,  dear,  no,"  Mrs.  Winship  broke  i.i,  gentiv 
pressing  the  girl's  hand.  "The  Lord  is  good  tc  us,  and 
we  ve  never  wanted  for  anything.  My  son  and  daugh- 
ter have  had  great  success  in  their  callings,  so  that  as 
soon  as  one  door  was  closed  another  was  opened  to  us 
»  89 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


Looking  back,  I  can't  but  see  that  all  has  brcn  for  the 
best — even  the  things  afrainst  which,  at  the  time,  1 
rebelled  the  most.  It's  the  Lord's  favor  to  have  shown 
mc  that  in  this  life,  when  so  many  of  His  servants  have 
to  wait  to  learn  it  till  they  enter  on  the  life  to  cumc. 
Now  that  I  see  it,  I  feel  ready  to  sing  my  Nunc  Jimittis 
Dominr,  in  jmcf.  But  you  wanted  to  see  my  son,  I 
think  you  said,  dear }"  she  added,  in  another  tone. 

"I  hoped  to  have  him  paint  my  portrait,"  Paula  tried 
to  explain.    "  I've  heard  of  his  work — " 

"Yes;  he's  made  a  great  reputation,"  the  mother 
said,  complacently. 

"So  I  understand;  and  I  hoped — " 

"He's  coming  now,  dear.  I  hear  his  step.  It's 
always  firmer  than  anybody  else's." 

A  door  at  the  distant  end  of  the  long  room  was  thrown 
open,  and  as  Paula  looked  up  she  saw  the  young  man 
she  had  met  at  Monte  Carlo  stride  in. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


AS  Winship  came  down  the  long  room,  Paula  was 
/Tl  able  to  gi^.^  a  definite  outline  to  the  vague  portrait 
of  him  she  had  carried  away  from  Monte  Carlo.  She 
saw  him  now,  tall,  spare,  muscular,  and  as  it  were, 
loosely  hung  together.  He  swung  hims.  along  with 
an  easy  gait  in  which  there  was  something  both  care- 
less and  sure.  "Careless  and  sure"  seemed  stamped 
on  his  whole  person,  from  his  roughly  brushed  brown 
hair  to  the  old,  russet-colored  suit  which,  as  Paula  said 
to  herself,  he  wore  "so  distinctly  like  a  gentleman." 
In  his  ill-dressed,  aristocratic  gauntness,  he  seemed  to 
her  to  recall  the  race  of  noble,  legendary  outlaws— just 
as  a  hollow-flanked,  gleaming-eyed  dog  will  remind  one 
of  a  wolf. 

"This  is  Miss  Trafford,  Roger,"  Mrs.  Winship  said, 
in  a  voice  shaking  with  emotion.  "She  has  come  to 
ask  you  to  paint  her  ponrait." 

"Miss  Trafford  and  I  have  met  already,"  Winship 
returned,  as  he  took  the  hand  Paula  stretched  out  to 
him  without  rising  from  her  chair. 

"For  an  instant,"  Paula  assented.  "I'm  glad  you 
haven't  forgotten.  You  see,"  she  added,  turning  to 
Marah,  who  had  followed  her  brother  into  the  room 
9> 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

—"you  lee,  we're   al!   friends   of  Lady  Alice  Hoi- 
royd's." 

Marah  Winship  made  no  response.  Her  face  had 
settled  into  an  expression  of  stony  repose.  As  Winship 
drew  up  a  small  chair  beside  his  mother  and  opposite 
their  visitor,  Marah  remained  standing  at  a  distance, 
just  where  Paula  could  not  see  her  without  turning 
round. 

"Lady  Alice  is  such  an  enthusia-'t  over  your  work, 
Mr.  Winship — "  Paula  hurried  on. 

"And  so  generous  in  singing  other  people's  praises," 
Winship  laughed,  not  without  a  flush  of  conscious 
pleasure. 

— ^That  I  couWa't  help  hoping  you  would  do  a 
portrait  of  me,  if  you're  not  too  busy." 

"You  are  very  busy,  Roger,"  Marah  warned  him, 
before  he  had  time  to  reply.  "If  you're  going  to  have 
anything  ready  for  the  Salon—" 

"Perhaps  Miss  TraflTord  wouldn't  mind  my  sendine 

this?"  '  ^ 

"Not  at  all,"  Paula  smiled.    "I've  figured  there 

abeady.     It  isn't  so  very  disagreeable.    One  is  hardly 

ever  recognized." 

"What  sort  of  portrait  were  you  thinking  of  J"  Win- 
ship inquired. 

Paula  confessed  that  her  own  ideas  were  vague;  she 
would  have  to  appeal  to  him  for  advice.  Carolus 
Duran  had  painted  the  bust  only;  Chartran  had  done 
a  three-quarters  length,  standing;  she  would  accept 
Mr.  Winship's  judgment  as  to  how  she  should  be 

Q2 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

represented  now.  She  did  not  say  that  the  pictute 
had  little  or  no  interest  for  her  in  itself.  While  he  made 
his  suggestions  she  listened  inattentively.  He  would 
paint  her,  he  thought,  at  full  length,  almost  as  she  sat 
before  him  in  the  high  Gothic  chair.  She  should  be  in 
some  sort  of  evening  dress,  black  for  preference,  or 
diaphanous  black  over  color.  She  should  have  a  small 
tiara  in  her  hair,  and  wear  a  few  fine  jewels,  possibly 
emeralds.  If  she  chose  emeralds,  he  would  carry  out 
the  idea  of  green  by  a  glimpse— just  a  glimpse— of  a 
malachite  table  in  the  background.  There  would  be 
green  tints,  too,  in  the  bit  of  sky— the  sky  of  a  long, 
late  summer  twilight— that  would  be  visible  through 
an  open  window.  It  would  be  quite  simple  — Miss 
Trafford  need  not  fear  the  contrary— but  it  would 
be  the  princely  simplicity  with  which  she  ought  to  be 
surrounded. 

Paula  maintained  her  air  of  listening  as  he  grew 
enthusiastic  over  his  conceptions,  but  in  reality  she 
was  watching  his  play  of  countenance.  She  thought 
she  had  never  seen— not  even  in  her  father— a  face  in 
which  there  was  greater  strength  of  will.  In  the  eyes, 
soft  and  hazel  as  they  were,  there  was  a  penetration  not 
less  keen  than  in  Paul  Trafford's  own;  while  the  mouth 
under  the  brovfn  mustache  seemed  to  her  both  sensi- 
tive and  inexorable.  She  was  not  sure  that  she  liked 
it.  It  was  too  much  like  the  mouth  of  a  man  whom 
neither  pity  nor  passion  would  turn  from  what  he 
had  set  his  mind  on.  While  he  was  talking  of  colors 
and  poses,  she  caught  herself  wondering  if  he  could 
93 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
^\y  be  ..  unyielding  ..  hi.  exp«„ion  «emed 

Having  decided  on  the  general  character  the  portrait 
WM  to  take,  they  diacuMed  the  question  of  aitS 

hoi'  "'jr    't*«=""y  "f  giving  them  in  her  Z 
houw,  and  her  wiUingnew  to  come  to  hi.. 

That  will  suit  me  admirably,"  Winship  agreed,  "if 
rt  ..n  t  pvmg  you  too  much  trouble.  This  i.  my  only 
ttud.0,  I  regret  ,o  .ay;  but  it  ha.  the  advanta«  that 
my  mother  ..  alway.,here.  and  generally  my  .isTer." 

Paula  turned  round  toward.  Marah  with  a  concilia- 
toty  smile. 

J'li'l  '''"  ''V\"'"'"8-  I  know  Mis,  Winship  i. 
.n  a«,st.  ,00.  Perhap.  we  shall  have  the  benefit  of 
ner  cnticism  and  advice. 

„„J!!f-5*"n  ''°^  """'Pox'ive,  gazing  blankly  at  the 
opposite  wall.    After  waiting  a  second  for  some^recog- 

2r  If  I  7.  t'  ^'"'u  '"""'  "«»'"  towards^ 
•hvj  If  she  felt  hurt,  she  was  too  sure  of  her  own 
good  mtenaon.  to  be  otherwise  than  self-possessed. 

And  now.  Mr.  Winship."  she  said,  gently,  "there', 
one  other  question.  I'm  bu.ine«  w;m,n  enough  to 
Imow  that  there  must  be  no  misundenunding  fbout 

VVinship  bowed. 

"Certainly.     I  wiU  „„  y„„  f„„n    ^^^ 

I  ve  had  four  thousand  francs;    for  the  next  one  I 
painted  I  meant  to  ask  five." 
"I  WiU  give  you  fifty  thousand."  Paula  said,  quietly. 
94 


THE  CJANTS  STRENGTH 

There  wa.  a  moment'i  huih,  af  if  the  heann  wen 
endeavonng  to  comprehend. 

"I  don't  think  you  under.tand  me,  Min  Traffbrd  " 
Wmship  .aid  at  lait,  speaking  deliberately,  "I  .aid 
nve  thousand — " 
"And  I  said  fifty,"  Paula  interrupted. 
"You're  very  kind,"  Win.hip  .aid.  fla.hing  one  of 
hi.  carele..  .mile,  at  her,  "but  I'm  afraid  I  mu.t  .tand 
by  my  price." 

"There',  no  que.tion  of  .landing  by  anything," 
Paula  returned.  "A  portrait  hasn't  a  fixed  and  un- 
changmg  value  like— like  a  postage-stamp." 

"The  money  value  of  any  work  of  art,  a  book,  a 
picture,  a  statue,  or  whatever  it  be,"  Win.hip  explained, 
can  be  measured  only  by  the  reputation  of  its  author. 
A  poor  bit  of  work  by  a  well-known  man  is  worth  more, 
from  a  financial  point  of  view,  than  a  good  bit  of  work 
by  a  man  who  makes  only  a  small  appeal  to  the 
public;  and  so — " 

"I  don't  care  anything  about  tnat,"  Paula  inter- 
rupted again. 

"No;  but  I  do."  Winship  rejoined.  "I'm  obliged 
to  look  at  things  just  as  they  are.  My  portrait  of  you 
might  be  as  good  as  Carolus  Duran's,  and  yet  you 
couldn  t  hang  it  with  the  same  pride  on  your  walls,  or 

'*« n      "'""  ^^°'y  '"  "  '""°"g  your  friends." 

But  that  isn't  what  I  want  to  do,"  Paula  said,  un- 
guardedly. 

"Then  what  Jo  you  want  to  do?"  he  asked,  leaniiw 
forward  and  looking  at  her  straight  in  the  eyes. 
95 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


and  she  thought  t  rather  tactle,..  It  would  haveS 
so  much  more  delicate  on  hi.  part  to  have  let  her  fat^e 
pnce  w.thout  discussioni    Hi.  .mile,  too.  annoyed  he 

cmated  her  by  ,t.  suggestion  of  ease  and  power     He 

.tTe7  h         ?  *~"'  °^  S"'**  °»  ^W^h  «h"  people 
seated    her.    It   was    not   exactly   di.ag«eable    .he 

thought;  It  was  only  disconcerting;  ^^       ' 

What  do  I  want  to  do?"  she  repeated,  tmng  to 

^  t,me  to  formulate  her  .epiy.    "I  want  to^ave  a 

s^it'';"n;:i.r'^'-'^""»^^--'atiam' 

^^Mdo  youLT^"  "'"""  ^°"  ''°'"  *•=  '"J"-"  ^- 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  be  protected.    No  woman  does 

nowadays.    And  as  for  injustice-"         °''°'"»"''°« 

that  m  Wmsh,p's  continual  smile  there  was  a  play  of 

hat T  """"T.r  .^^'  *■'"  '^"^  »"=  sawthroughher. 

hat  he  was  nddhng  her  poor  plan  for  his  benefit  with 
the  silent  shots  of  his  scom. 

"As  for  injustice-what.  Miss  Trafford  ?    You  were 
gomg  to  say  something." 

meet  .t     It  was  the  sort  of  situation  that  called  out 
fcer  CO,  age.  and  made  her  spring  to  her  own  defence. 
96 


THE  CMNTS  STRENGTH 

''I  wa.  going  to  say.  Miss  Winship,"  she  repUed. 
looking  calmly  into  Marah's  snapping  eyes,  "that  as 
for  injustice,  all  of  us  have  to  bear  it— all  of  us.  There 
are  no  exception?.  If  it  hurts  you  in  one  way,  it  hurts 
me  in  another— but  none  of  us  escapes." 

"Just  as  none  of  us  escapes  the  winter's  storm," 
Marah  returned,  hardly.  "Only  it's  one  thing  to 
watch  It  from  the  window,  and  another  thing  to  shiver 
in  Its  blast." 

Paula  did  not  reply,  but  she  did  not  immediately 
turn  her  eyes  away.  She  met  Marah's  scintillating 
gaze  without  flinching,  but  she  grew  aware  of  the 
hostility  behind  it 

•'There's  only  one  prayer  for  us,  dears,  when  we  feel 
we  re  unjustly  treated,"  Mrs.  Winship  said,  in  her 
high,  trembling  voice.  "It's,  'Father,  forgive  them, 
fo.  they  know  not  what  they  do.'  If  we  did  know, 
we  d  be  gentler  with  one  another." 

"I'm  sure  Mr.  Winship  doesn't  know  how  he  wounds 
me  in  not  accepting  my  conditions,"  Paula  said,  with  a 
faint  smile,  turning  again  towards  the  mother  and  the 
TOn. 

"Nor  Miss  Tnifl=brd  how  she  oflTends  me  by  con- 
testing mine,"  Winship  laughed. 

"I  do  contest  them,"  Paula  insisted;  "I  not  only 
contest  them,  but  I  reject  them." 
..   "^,'"'"  "•''  Winship,  speaking  with  sudden  gravity, 
there  s  nothing  more  to  be  said.    If  we  can't  agree, 
we  can  only  ciy  our  bargain  off." 
Paula  was  not  expecting  so  abrupt  a  termination  to 
97 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


.t  o   rr"-    u"  ""'  '^  ''•"«'««'  »"«» the  deepen. 
^^^  ^  Do  you  n,ea„  that  you  won't  paint  my  pomaH 

"Only  at  my  own  price." 
'But  since  I  can't  accept  it?" 

than  his  and  lower  than  yours."  '"^''" 

So.  after  further  ulk,  it  was  settled,  and  presently 
Paula  rose  to  eo  awav      Shi.  f»l.  i  presently 

when  .h.  ,        J  V"^y-    '»'"'  felt  less  assurance  than 
When  she  arnved,  but  she  said  her  good-byes  without 
v,s.ble  embarrassment.    As  WinshrheSthT  d" 
op^^for  her  to  pass  out.  she  tume^d  to  him  on'^ 

«md"htr  r±"  '^'"'^  '"'  '"  '  •'"•«  ^'^"  "he  ob- 
served, her  brows  contracting  with  her  characteristic 
expression  of  perplexity.  "I've  always  understSat 
men  wanted  to  make  money."  ""^erstood  that 

••So  they  do-when  they  have  time." 

And  you? 
^  I  shall  make  money  some  day  " 
^  Why  some  day?    Why  not  now?" 
Because  now  I'm  too  busy  with  m>  art.    When 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"But  if  it  doesn't?" 

"I  ihould  have  only  one  reason  for  regtetdng  it." 
He  nodded  backward  towards  his  mother's  chair, 
over  which  Marah  was  leaning  tenderly. 
'•But  if  you  refuse  to  seize  your  opportunities  ?" 
I  shall  not  refuse;  but  there  are  opportunities  and 
opportumnes.    There  are  some  of  which  one  avails 
one  s  self,  and  there  are  others  which  no  honorable  man 
could  take  without  losing  his  self-respect." 
"And  you  think  my  offer  of  to-day—" 
"Was  meant  kindly,"  he  finished,  before  she  could 
end  her  sentence.     "I'm  sure  of  that.    And  I'.-n  equally 
sure  that  when  you've  reflected  well  you'll  see  that  my 
refusal  to  accept  it  is  not  incompatible  with  the  fullest 
appreciation." 

She  dared  not  question  him  further.  She  under- 
stood  that  he  had  read  her  scheme  in  aU  its  blundering 
benevolent  futihty.  She  read  it  so  herself,  now  that 
It  had  been  put  into  words  and  subjected  to  scrutiny 
but  she  read  it  with  a  curious  misapprehension  of 
characters  and  hearts. 

"No  wonder  he  refused  itl"  she  said  to  herself,  as  she 
drove  homeward.  "Fifty  thousand  francs  I  Five  hun- 
dred thousand  would  be  but  a  trifle  of  what  we  owe 
them.  If  It  was  five  million-well,  perhaps  that  might 
have  been  enough." 

Five  million  francsl    The  sum  appealed  alike  to  her 

imagination  and  to  her  sense  of  justice.    That  would 

be  a  miUion  dollars— two  hundred  thousand  pounds. 

She  knew  nothing  about  the  matter,  but  it  seemed  to 

99 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


Ih.'  n  ''i "  si?''*  «P'*^"»  «ppr«»imately  the  value  of 

one  ™ii  JJ""-    ^'  !"«■  ''  ''"  '  '""'  -*  which 
o«e  might  offer  rerotution  without  being  laughed  at. 

W.n,h.p  A-^  laughed  at  her.    She  wa.%ure^of  that 
r^^K       •  ^*'y;''°"8''*  '"'«'«  h"  cheeks  bum.  in  the 

She  did  not  resent  his  derision.  She  accepted 
even  Marah's  hostiUty  with  a  confused  feehng  Sk. 
"ng  some  atonement.     But  there  was  an  atonement 

^i  mor.  fT  """"""■"Sr^ity  of  her  nature  she 
F^  more  firmly  convmced  that  her  family  ought  to 

ast  hour  before  parting,  ^'.en  the  string  of  the  tongue 
■s  often  loosed  and  the  mind  expresses  itself  boldTy! 
ihe  flung  her  opmion  like  a  bomb  into  the  family  cirtle 

Atfirst  there  was  neither  expostulation  nor  direct  «ply. 

depth^  of  his  arm-chair.  "I  think  we  ought  to  send  for 

What  yo„  she  mean?"  Mn.  Trafford  demanded 

wonTen^gly!'  '"  '"  ^"'""''  """>  '~'''''  «  P"^' 
"It  isn't  a  question  of  what  sh,  means,  but  of  what 

toTavTl  °^  strait-jacket  for  her.    It  isn't  safe 

to  have  her  gomg  around  loose." 

100 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Cheap  witticiim  i»n't  argument,  Gcoige,"  Paula 
reminded  him. 

"Cheap?"  he  retorted.  "No  witticism  that  turn* 
on  throwing  away  a  million  dollars  can  be  cheap." 

"A  million  dollars  isn't  much,"  Paula  declared, 
warmly. 

"Try  to  earn  it  and  you'll ,  je,"  TraflFord  threw  back 
at  her. 

"I  mean  it  isn't  much  for  us— especially  if  it  were 
divided  up  among  us  all.  We  should  never  miss  it." 
Vfe  shall  never  try,"  he  laughed,  gruffly. 

"Paula,  dear,  do  keep  your  senses,  at  any  rate  while 
your  father  is  away,"  Mrs.  Trafford  pleaded.  "If 
you  go  on  like  this  you'll  get  nervous  prostration-or 
you  II  give  it  to  me." 

"Mother,  if  you'd  seen  those  people  as  I  saw  them 
to-day — 

"I  don't  want  to.  I  don't  want  to  know  about  them. 
When  I  remember  what  they  did  to  your  father—" 

"WeU,  they're  punished  for  it  now.  They  live  in 
such  a  poor  placel-a  sort  of  old,  half-ruined  convent. 
And  eveiythmg  about  them  is  so  comfortless,  so  bare 
80  lacking  in  all  that  we  call  essential!  When  I  looked 
at  that  poor  lady,  it  was  as  if  I  saw  you,  mother,  dear, 
old  and  blind  and  feeble  and  sweet  and  saintlike—" 

•'Oh,  for  mercy's  sake,  stop,"  Mrs.  Trafford  cried. 

You  re  enough  to  give  any  one  the  creeps." 

"And  a  million  dollars  would  mean  so  much  to  them," 
Paula  ended,  pleadingly. 

"That's  the  first  point  on  which  I  agree  with  you," 

lOI 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Trafford  *aid,  dtyfy.  "A  million  doUan  meaiu  >  good 
deal  to  mow  people.  But  look  herel  I'U  teU  you  what 
I U  do.  You  re  a  good  girl  and  I'll  humor  you.  I'U 
give  you  fifty  francs  for  them—" 

"George,  you're  crazy."  Paula  exclaimed,  indignant- 
ly.  You  re  iniulting.  He  refused  fifty  thousand 
francs  from  me  this  very  afternoon." 

"He-what?"  Trafford  asked,  with  the  low.  slow 
emphasis  of  mcreduljty. 

Then  Paula  told  the  sto^r  of  the  day's  experiences. 
Wie  told  It  brokenly,  interrupted  by  George's  and  Mis. 
Trafford  s  questions.  Laura  stitched  in  silence,  her 
eyta  fixed  on  her  work.  Trafford  drew  up  his  arm- 
chair  dose  to  where  Paula  sat  by  a  smaU  table,  merging 
her  hot  blushes  in  the  red  glow  of  a  shaded  electric 
lamp.  Mrs.  Tralibrd  fanned  herself  with  a  lace  hand- 
kerchief, as  though  in  danger  of  suffocation. 

And  so  he  stood  out  for  more."  Trafford  comment- 
ed, as  Paula  brought  her  narrative  to  a  close.  "WeU 
I  don't  blame  him.  No  doubt  he  could  see  that  if  he 
left  you  alone  you'd  bring  him  back  the  whole  Devlin 
property." 

"Why  shouldn't  we?"  Paula  demanded,  with  cheeks 
flaming.  It  was  theirs.  We  took  it  from  them.  You 
said  yourself,  the  night  we  talked  of  it,  that  papa  had 
Uid  out  his  plan  to  ruin  them  five  or  six  years  ahead. 
Why  shouldn  t  we  do  justice  to  them  now,  late  as  it  is  ?" 
I  never  said  your  father  had  laid  out  his  plan  to  ruin 
them;  I  said  he  had  laid  out  his  plan  of  campaign." 
It  s  the  same  thing." 

102 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Pardon  me,  but  it  iin't  the  tame  thii  ;.  Your 
fatiier't  operationi  were  in  the  way  of  biuineu,  not  of 
ipoliation." 

"That'i  the  mere  jargon  of  the  market,"  Paula  cried, 
springing  to  her  feet  and  beginning  to  move  rettlenly 
about.  "  I've  heard  it  till  I'm  lick  of  it«  sound.  Buii- 
nessl  buiinesd  It's  the  only  pauword  of  our  world. 
It's  our  only  motto,  our  only  standard  of  right.  So 
long  as  we  can  say  that  any  action,  however  base,  is  in 
the  way  of  business,  we  think  the  trickeiy,  the  mean- 
ness, the  dishonor  is  excused.  We  make  our  plea  of 
business  cover  a  greater  multitude  of  sins  than  charity. 
What's  the  good  of  our  philanthropies  and  our  libraries 
and  our  fine  plans  for  the  elevation  of  mankind,  when 
we  get  the  very  money  that  keeps  our  schemes  alive  by 
dubling  other  people  down  ?  I  use  your  own  expres- 
sion, George.  It's  what  you  said  papa  did  to  this  poor. 
Wind  Mrs.  Winship— " 

"Your  father  can't  be  made  responsible  for  my 
expressions,  any  more  than  he  can  be  argued  guilty  by 
your  eloquence." 

"I'm  not  tiying  to  aigue  him  guilty.  I  know  he 
wasn't  guilty.  I'm  trying  only  to  protect  him  from 
bemg  thought  so.  And  when  we  could  do  that  with  an 
insignificant  million  dollars — " 

"Bur  rould  you  ?"  Laura  asked,  looking  up  from  her 
work,  and  speaking  for  the  first  time.  "If  you  con- 
stitute yourself  a  judge  of  your  father's  doings—" 

"A  kind  of  Holy  Office  of  the  Inquisition,  consisting 
of  one  infallible  member,"  Trafford  threw  in. 
103 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"You  couldn't  nop  .t  one  ,«J„ed  c,«  "  M, 

M  the  ,«,  leaving  the  room.    "Come  back     Tv^ 

gotsomethrngmoretosaytoyou"      "'""'•     *  ^« 

She  turned  at  the  door  and  confronted  him     Her 

cheej..   ;a  -ua^ed^nto  ^o  hectic  spot,  of  .caHet. 

r^  him."      "'"  ""^  *°  '"P  ^"  P"'"*"  -"  "  'o 

'•l' wourd'''1f'V'"  "'y^f-^' '"''*"g  her  head  h.gh- 
^i^would,  ,f  I  couldn't  do  him  justice  in  any  other 

Trafford  laughed  aloud. 

"Hoi    Hoi    Well  done.  Paula!"  he  cried  after  her. 

104 


THE  CUANTS  STRENGTH 

M  th«  went  proudly  and  indignantly  up  the  neat 
•ttinfay.  "^ 

But  Mn.  Traffbrd  wai  vexed. 

"Vfhy  on  eanh  thould  you  put  that  notion  into  her 
head,  Geoige  i"  ihe  complained,  fretfully.  "You  know, 
M  weU  ai  I  do,  that  the't  quite  capable  of  doing  it" 


CHAPTER  K 

"H  «r  ^u"*^"  ^  **  """"  "8"'">  Alice,"  Marah 
1  I  Winship   said,  complainingly.     "You've    never 

seen  any  one  more  changed  than  he,  since  the  fim  day 

he  began  to  paint  her." 

•    "J  '''?°"!^"''  '«*''"  about  that,"  Lady  Alice  returned. 

in  her  bluff,  hearty  way,  "«>  long  as  the  change  is  for 

the  better."  " 

"But  is  it?" 
"Ceruinly,  if  you  can  judge  from  his  work.    That 

nicture  IS  a  man's  work,  not  a  boy's.     It's  got  the  two 

Amgs  hes  lacked  hitherto-inspiration  and  authority. 

Hes  always  had  drawing  and  color.  I  give  you  my 
word  Marah,  I'm  astonished,  perfectly  astonished-I, 

^p  'rl  /"'.""'S  *'"e»  *■"""  Wm.  That  woman 
is  l-aula  Trafford  as  surely  as  Rembrandt's  'Old  Lady' 
m  Amsterdam  is  Elisabeth  Bas  " 

th  ™iS^"  '"^  °"^  ■=''' '"  "-^ ''-''»'  "*- 

"I  call  that  stuff  and  nonsense,  and  flying  in  the  face 
of  Providence.  The  boy's  business  is  to  paint  pretty 
women,  and  where  could  he  have  found  a  better  sub- 

!!1j  .    .  "  ■"  *""'  ^^^  "•""  "''°"«  »"y  0"=  else  who  had 

good  looks  enough  to  give  him  pleasure  in  putting  them 

io6 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

on  canvafc  Oh  yes,  I  know  all  about  the  past;  but, 
good  gracious,  Marah,  you're  not  a  Corsican,  to  carry 
on  a  vendetta  from  generation  to  generation.  I  should 
say  that,  if  they've  fallen  in  love  with  each  other,  it 
would  be  uncommonly  rare  poetic  justice  for  them  to 
make  a  match  of  it." 
||You  didn't  want  your  own  brother  to  many  her." 
"That's  a  different  thing.  Ludovic,  poor  lad,  came 
into  the  vorld  bound  hand  and  foot  with  duties,  and 
with  a  whole  load  of  family  traditions  crushing  him 
down.  He  can't  mariy  the  first  pretty  face  he  takes  a 
fancy  to.  He's  got  to  keep  in  the  picture,  so  to  speak. 
There's  nothing  more  incongruous,  in  my  opinion,  than 
an  English  duke  with  a  rich  An-.rican  duchess.  It's 
out  of  drawing  and  off  the  background.  It  leaps  at  you 
from  the  frame.  Of  course,  if  Ludovic  had  done  it, 
I  could  have  lived  through  it  and  made  the  best  of  it, 
just  as  I  should  do  if  he  were  to  dismantle  the  beautiful 
Louis  Seize  drawing-room  at  Edenbridge  and  refurnish 
it  from  Maple's;  but  I  shouldn't  like  it." 

"We  have  our  family  pride  as  well  as  you,"  Marah 
observed,  with  sharp  eyes  snapping.  "Until  we  were 
driven  out,  our  own  family  had  lived  on  the  same  land 
in  New  Hampshire  for  nearly  three  hundred  years." 

"Oh,  my  dear,  America  wasn't  discovered  as  long 
ago  as  that,  and  even  if  it  had  been,  the  two  things  are 
not  the  same  at  all.  They're  as  different  as  a  Teniers 
and  a  Raphael.  Mind  you,  a  Teniers  is  just  as  gooj 
as  a  Raphael;  but  it's  quite  another  genre,  and  you 
mustn't  mix  them.  As  for  your  brother,  I  say  again, 
107 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

that  if  they  can  make  a  match  of  it  you  ought  to  take  it 
as  the  special  mtervention  of  Providence,  and  a  happy 
way  out  of  the  coil."  "^^ 

They  sat  in  the  long  studio  before  Win.hip's  un- 
finished  portrait     Lady  Alice,  in  her  black  doth  ^ 
Tyrolese  hat,  and  stout  leather  boo..,  was  an  excE 
t^e  of  the  Englishwoman  who  is  so  iure  of  herm  'an 
and  position  that  she  can  dress  as  she  pleases.    Above 

She  had  been  painted  much  as  Winship  had  suggested 
m  the  first  moment  of  inspiration-in  diaphanoufblack 
over  something  green,  with  a  diamond  ornament,  like 
a  t.ara,shin.ng  m  her  hair.  From  a  chiselled  gold  c^er 
standing  on  a  smaU  malachite  table  beside  her.  she  was' 
drawing  a  string  of  pearls,  though  her  eyes  we;e  turned 
awards  the  spectator.  Through  an  opening  between 
two  columns  the  vaguely  suggested  sunset  was  fading 
out  in  tints  of  green  and  gold  and  black 

fni?'''''!.'"'?  *^,'"°"«y."  Lady  Alice  continued,  un- 
foWmg  die  plan,  "and  he'U  have  the  fame.  The  one 
will  not  be  better  dowered  than  the  other.  This  bit  of 
work  means  that  he  is  going  up  to  the  gate  of  the  Temple 
with  a  good,  sharp  rap.  They'll  let  him  in  quickly 
enough  this  time  It's  marvellous  how  he's  managed  so 
much  detail  with  such  simplicity.    And  yet,"  she  went 

away  from  the  girl  herself.     He's  caught  the  meaning 

It  •  '^'".r*  V°*'"«  '*'°"  °f  P^^'-    I've  seen  her 
look  just  like  that-in  fact,  it's  her  characteristic  ex- 
pression.    Dont  you  notice  it,  Marah?" 
io8 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"I  can  tee  it's  vety  well  painted." 
"Then  it's  a  pity  you  can't  see  mote.  That  rather 
pathetic  kind  of  loveliness  is  unusual  in  itself,  but 
when  you  add  her  wondering,  questioning  expression 
you  make  it  positively  significant.  It's  tremendously 
modem;  oo.  You  could  never  confound  this  girl  with 
the  soft-eyed,  shameless  beauties  of  the  Lely  school,  or 
with  the  bedraped  and  befeathered  ladies  of  Sir  Joshua. 
Here  you've  got  not  only  a  pretty  woman,  but  a  human 
soul.  Any  one  might  think  that,  with  her  puzzled, 
ranging  gaze,  she  was  asking  the  eternal  What?  and 
Why  ?  of  earthly  existence." 

The  grating  of  a  latch-key  in  the  lock  of  the  door  cut 
short  Lady  Alice's  observations,  and  Winship  himself 
entered.  During  the  greetings  that  followed,  Marah, 
murmuring  something  about  see  to  her  mother,  slipped 
from  the  room.  Winship  asked  Lady  Alice  many 
questions:  When  had  she  come?  Where  was  she 
staying  ?  How  long  was  she  to  remain  ?  He  showed 
his  surprise  and  pleasure  at  seeing  her. 

"I'm  especially  glad  on  account  of  that,"  he  said, 
with  a  gesture  towards  the  portrait,  when  they  had 
finished  the  first  preliminary  topics  of  meeting.  "How 
do  you  like  it?  Sit  down  there — just  there  —  that's 
the  best  light.  Now  tell  me  what  you  think  of  it. 
There's  no  one  whose  opinion  I'd  rather  have  than 
yours.  Is  it  she?  That's  the  thing  I  care  for  most. 
You  know  her  better  than  I  Jo." 

"And  yet  you  seem  to  know  her  pretty  well." 

"I  do.     I  divine  her." 

ICQ 


H 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Yo'lv-  '  ^'Z  ''•T'"'  ''°™  '^  speculation,  isn't  it? 
W  j,a.nted  w.tl,  a  good  deal  of  enthusiast.    /^' 

"It  talces  enthusiasm  to  transfer  a  living  peisonalin, 
to  the  canvas,"  he  said,  evasively  "Y^u^^  -^ 
clothes  and  features  b,  ^ere  swf  but^^    Z  '^ 

.^t:'rr:^,rir"^^"*^-'»p«'^-''°'-h^^ 

"If  she  didn't  W  situation  would." 
You  mean — " 

"I  mean  that  for  me  she  belongs  to  the  rtoud  of 
women  overwhelmed  hy  the  fatalitf  of  cir.uran'^ 
^e  representative  circumstances  of  their  time.     laTh 
age  has  ,ts  own  types,  which  often  become  its  own  S 

t£  ■  7'  '"'^  '"  ""°**'"  "  Madame  Royale. 
Jr  aLT  T!ll  rr  rr  ^  e^rfs-without  i„Lm 
greatness  of  any  kmd-but  the  cyclone  of  forces  con- 
<:entrates  and  bursts  above  them." 

■Jr'J^^  f°^  '"^";  ^°  >'°"  ""^"  *°  "y «''«  Paula  Traf. 
ford  .s  threatened  by  some  overhanjng  doom?" 

No,  I  do  not     I  say  only  that  she  is  one  of  the  few 
who  focus  mto  themselves  the  results  of  a  great  indus 
tnal  country  and  of  a  great  industrial  era.     There  she 

T  "'  {  """  ^"'"  ^'  '^'^  °".  pointing  over  Ldv 
Al.ce;s  shoulder,  "the  type  and  'thrvictim  of  a  com"^ 
tnercal  age  and  a  commercial  people.  All  the  rX 
and  wrongs  of  industry  and  fiUce  are  forced  t^ 

T¥rt 


THE  GIA^JTS  STRENGTH 


' 


her  hands — their  honest  gains,  their  pitiless  compe- 
titions, their  brutal  robberies,  their  sordid  trickeries, 
and  their  moral  assassinations.  She  sums  them  up 
and  represents  them." 

"Yes,"  Lady  Alice  assented,  with  her  grim  smile, 
"just  about  to  the  same  extent  as  I  sum  up  the  history 
and  privileges  of  the  House  of  Lords." 

"Oh,  more  than  that.  You're  one  of  your  class; 
she  stands  alone  in  hers.  She  can't  be  other  than  rep- 
resentadve.     Destiny  has  singled  her  out  for  the  task." 

"And  she's  such  a  sweet,  gentle  soul." 

"That's  where  the  curious  irony  of  it  comes  in.  Do 
you  remember  in  the  cathedral  at  Ghent  the  tomb  of 
Maiy  of  Burgundy?  No?  Well,  it's  worth  looking 
at  the  next  time  you're  there.  She  lies  crowned  and 
gorgeously  robed,  on  a  sepulchre  covered  with  the 
shields  of  the  duchies,  counties,  and  baronies  she  in- 
herited from  Charles  the  Bold.  She  herself  is  a  frail, 
pinched  little  body,  who  died  at  twenty-four.  She 
lived  just  long  enough  to  marry  Maximilian,  to  have  a 
son,  to  transfer  the  Low  Countries  lo  Spain  and  Austria, 
and  so  to  begin  the  centuries  of  war  and  misery  that 
never  really  ended  till  the  revolt  of  Belgium  from  Hol- 
land, in  1830.  She  was  nothing  but  a  girl  —  little 
older  than  Miss  TrafFord  there — but  the  storm-forces 
of  her  time  centred  around  he  tossing  her  into  a 
place  in  history  utterly  out  of  keeping  with  her  personal 
importance.  In  the  United  States  to-day,  women  don't 
inherit  duchies,  like  Mary  of  Burgundy,  they  inherit 
money — " 


THE  GIANTS  STRLNGTH 


^^  1  hen  why  shouldn't  it  be  you  ?" 
1  ve  so  few  ambitions  of  that  kind." 
00  few  fiddlesticksl" 


112 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"She's  a  sweet  girl,"  Mrs.  Winship  said,  tremulously. 
"I've  come  to  love  her  very  dearly.  So  has  my  son, 
haven't  you,  Roger  ?" 

"I  can  quite  understand  that,"  Lady  Alice  observed, 
dryly. 

"Oh  yes,"  he  laughed.  "It's  quite  intelligible. 
But  all  terms  are  relative,  and  mother's  don't  bear  being 
torn  away  from  the  context." 

"She's  been  a  great  comfort  to  me,"  Mrs.  Win.hip 
pursued,  gently.  •  "I  haven't  been  so  well  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  winter,  and  her  kindness  has  been 
very  sweet  to  me.  She  comes  and  reads  to  me,  when 
Marah  and  Roger  are  away,  just  as  you  used  to  do, 
dear.  She  took  me  to  drive  one  day,  but  I'm  afraid  that 
was  too  much  for  me.  I  don't  suppose  I  shall  go  out 
again  now,  till  I  go — home." 

Winship  and  Lady  Alice  exchanged  glances.  It  was 
evident  to  both  that  the  aged  woman  had  grown  very 
frail.  The  voice  was  strong  and  the  look  eager,  as 
though  the  spirit  were  straining  itself  to  break  away. 

"If  you'll  excusenne  a  minute,"  Winship  said,  trying 
to  speak  cheerily,  "I'll  leave  you  ladies  to  your  remi- 
niscences. I've  got  an  idea  I  should  like  to  work 
out—" 

"It  would  be  a  pity  to  lose  it,  then,"  Lady  Alice  re- 
plied. "Your  company  will  keep,  but  an  idea  must 
be  seized  on  the  wing." 

"The  Lord  is  very  good  to  me,"  Mrs.  Winship  con- 
tinued, in  a  high,  shaking  voice,  while  Winship,  with 
his  back  towards  them,  worked  rapidly  at  the  canvas. 
"3 


I! 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


I  Ml 


to  me  the  be^."^        '      '"  ""  '»'™«» *^'  '"t  seem. 

-ice  me  so.    Z,  ,e.  -'i  h,v:r:;TrfV° 
me  to  enter  into  the  iov  of  m„  T     j-t ,  .      """^  '°' 

-  Jove  Paul  TrafFor^;^     u'C^'iVad 'f '  """'•' 
of  bitter  feehnes  sb  1   k„»  i       ""  '''*  memory 

-ince  she  came/^        '  """  "'"  *^«  ''"  Pa»ed  away 

m^i^aX^S^r '""  '''■"  "^'y  ^~  -- 

::WeUIhave„,ha"T:LCe:^^«''«'" 

•Jo  S'fi'r.  iTri  "'%■'' "" "'  """"•* 

I'm  sure  of  it.  Oh  mv  d^  r"""  ^'^=  ««<»  it. 
other.  My  son  ?ndpL^i;^,r«  •"'<•«  fo-ach 
had  only  foreseen  that  hdu'  '''"«'"'^'  ^^  ^« 
have  spared  earh  otJe  '  ^^  "'u  '"«""''  ^'  -"'eht 
be  late  than  not  at  a,l  I  sta  ,'"  .''""  """  «  ^''""''^ 
husband  that  al,  strife  is  tlfj^  ^  -"  -r  <iear 

the^t"mt;;:d?rsC" ""  "'''^  ^-'^^  "--<• 
youknow.  isS^hVrird'r  "^  °^'="^'"' 

PO.nt  where  you  might  .elr.;re„tgr^:e'°  t 
114  •    •" 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

thii   ii   the  young  lady  a  man  couldn't  many  for 
level" 

"I  didn't  iay  that,"  Winship  returned,  with  a  little 
warmth. 

"Well,  what  did  you  gay?" 
"I  said— really,  Lady  Alice,  I  drn't  remember." 
"No,  nor  I  either— exactly.    You  said  you  couldn't 
marry  her  for  love;  wasn't  that  it  ?" 

"I  don't  suppose  I  could  marry  her  at  all,"  he  replied, 
turning  round  and  looking  at  her  frankly.    "Where 
there  are  so  many  extraneous  circumstances  to  be 
uken  into  consideration — " 
"But  if  there  weren't?" 

"If  there  weren't  an  atmosphere  round  the  earth,  we 
should  see  things  in  quite  another  light.  But  since 
there  is  an  atmosphere,  all  our  perceptions  have  to  de- 
pend upon  it." 

"But  even  in  the  atmosphere  there's  a  difference  be- 
tween cloud  and  sunshine.  You  wouldn't  refuse  to 
enjoy  a  bright  spring  morning  because  you'd  suffered 
from  last  year's  storm." 

"You  would  if  you'd  been  struck  by  lightning,"  he 
returned,  with  a  sharpness  of  tone  that  surprised  her. 
"You  would  if  you'd  been  crippled  and  blinded  and 
left  all  but  dead.     The  bright  spring  morning  would 
bring  a  rather  belated  cheerfulness  then." 
''I  didn't  mean  that,"  she  began,  apologetically. 
"No,  Lady  Alice;  but  I  have  to  mean  it.     I  can't 
shut  my  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  two  lives  nearest  mine 
are  blasted  beyond  all  hope.     The  curious  thing  is  that 
"5 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


n«<iJ-j  -1.  ^J"        """  ''''•»  I  ook  at  that"— li« 
I  can  undentand  that  easily  „oueh      Th«  .„. 

ev^'^w"  ""  '"«'■"''■  '"■*''  "  ™"<»'»  glitter  in  the 

'I  see." 

."^"  "**  •°'™'  o*"  't^not  all." 
The  revenge  of  Romeo  on  the  CaD..I«.     t 
-»e^t»^  motive  would  Be  Romeo':  fr.lTl-J^n'Z 

th«?Lto'ret'n -th^eTar  T^"«  °"  '  ""'i- 
"As  yet."  '"^  '"'"«=  "'■ »  ^«on.'" 

He  made  no  response. 
"As  yet,"  she  insisted. 

ii6 


THE  CyANTS  STRENGTH 


■he 
en 

lid 

n- 
lii 
le 
in 

le 
.f 


Winahip  ihniggvd  hit  ihoulden  and  (aid  nothing. 

"And  w>,  in  the  end,  you  might  fail." 

"I  couldn't  fail,"  he  aniwered,  quickly,  "not  now. 
However  it  turned  out,  the  victory  would  be  mine— now. 
In  the  one  case,  Paul  TraiTord  would  carry  a  wound  in 
hii  tide;  in  the  other  he'd  get  it  in  the  heart." 

Lady  Alice  pauied,  with  her  glove  half  drawn  on,  and 
regarded  him. 

"HmphI"  the  tniifed  at  lait.  "I  believe  you  Win- 
Aipt  are  Corticani,  after  all— you  and  Marah,  too." 


IV' 


CHAPTER  X 

keep  off  .He  gSt:j;i:  °  ■;;,^,:j;'  - -a. . 

plleor,  and  beneath  the  tree,  ther!  1  I         '"''= 

-nt  of  going  and  con.^ "ichTrtL'of  '^v"""". 
»at.n.,  such  a  hum  of  talk  anH  I      u  '^  "'^*  »"«• 

«f  greering.  ,„a  faJj^Tut  'S^f  "  ""'"f 
glasses,  that  two  ladies  se«ed  bv  ,k  .  """P'  '"'* 
intimately  alone.  LadtSadf  '"'l"  ~"'''  ^ 
invited  Paula  to  tea  wiih  W  """  """^'""  •'"• 

Cot-i'::fe„tSnt?  '  ^°r,  "«-'  °f  '»>« 
tliem.  a  couple  rSh,«rA  °' '""''^  ''"^°"'' 
having  a  ScotVand'sodatnher^'"""  '="''  "''" 
'i'h  people,  on  their  way  f;om  tt  I'  "  ^""^  °^  ^"S" 
fea;  the  Italian3  at  another  tTbeafiTr'!  "■""« 
■cans  at  still  another  were  r.„,l    '    u  ^°'"''  '*"'"- 

and  pea-green  drin^aTdTS    fc^ '^'' ^""^ 
there  was  a  long,  double  nrn^     •      "^r      '"'  •"""  ^°°' 

cars,  and  cabs.^Seried"^r'°"  "''"='' "'°'°^- 

i-ivened  chasseurs  ran  to  and  fro,  to 

I  lo 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

welcome  the  arriving,  and  ipeed  the  departing,  guett 
Swana  were  floating  on  the  lake  in  the  foreground,  and  a 
faint,  tweet  perfume  came  up  from  the  bedi  of  hyacinthi 
on  iti  banks.  Overhead,  birds  were  flitting  and  chirp- 
ing, in  the  ardor  of  building  their  netti;  while  above  and 
through  and  beneath  all  other  sounds  came  the  wild 
twanging,  clanging,  heart-breaking  music  of  the  Hun- 
garian Tziganes. 

Neither  of  the  two  women  paid  direct  attention  to 

these  things;  they  only  submitted  unconsciously  to  the 

influence  of  what  is  a  little  out  of  the  common.    The 

glamour  of  the  sunshine,  the  strains  of  the  gypsy  air.the 

subtle  sense  of  the  romantic  that  diflfuses  itself  in  any 

rich,  leisured,  cosmopolitan  crowd,  made  it  possible, 

for  Paula  at  least,  to  speak  as  she  could  not  have  spoken 

without  the  stimulus  and  support  of  an  accompaniment. 

"Yes,  Ludovic  will  be  back  again  in  a  few  weeks," 

Lady  Alice  sighed,  as  she  put  down  her  cup.    "Poor 

boy,  I  hope  the  trip  will  have  done  him  good." 

"I'm  sure  I  hope  so,"  Paula  murmured,  politely. 

"He  sails  from  Cape  Town  to-morrow.  That 'II  make 

it  about  three  months  altogether  since  he  left  Monte 

Carlo." 

"About  that,  I  think,"  Paula  murmured  again,  trying 
to  look  anywhere  but  at  her  hostess. 

"Of  course,"  Lady  Alice  ventured,  boldly,  "I  never 
asked  him  what  took  place  between  you.  I  wouldn't. 
I  think  one  can  never  be  too  delicate  about  matters  of 
that  sort.  But,  naturally,  one  has  one's  surmisings, 
don't  they .'" 

119 


In' 


ill 


I  "Mi  I 
I  'ill  I 


I 


!i 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Paula  admined  as  much  as  that. 

"  I  knew  you'd  say  so,"  Lady  Alice  pursued,  as  though 
relwved  by  Paula's  assent  "One  has  their  surmising, 
and  they  can  t  help  it  But  I  never  talk  about  such 
things.  Whatever  I  think,  I  keep  to  myself.  My  dear 
mother  used  to  say  that  one  always  had  plenty  of  time 
to  begm  to  talk,  but  it  was  never  too  soon  to  be  silent" 

I  m  sure  that  must  be  very  true,"  Paula  agreed, 
mnocently.         i  °       ' 

"And  so,  as  I  say,  I  never  say  anything.  I  only 
ttiought-you'll  excuse  me,  dear,  won't  you?-I  only 
thought,  that  if  it  was  anything  in  the  nature  of  a  mi^ 
understanding — " 

Paula  shook  her  head. 

"That  I  could  help  in—" 

"It  wasn't  anything  of  that  kind,"  Paula  forced  her- 
self  to  say. 

"Well,  I'm  glad  of  that-or.  rather.  I  can't  help 
bemg  a  httle  bit  sony.  too;  because,  if  it  had  been  so. 
there  might  have  been  a  ray  of  hope  for  Ludovic.  But 
of  course,  if  you'd  made  up  your  mind  that  you  couldn't 
many  him — " 

"I  offered  to,"  Paula  stammered,  in  the  hope  of 
putting  the  matter  less  ungraciously.    "J  wanted  to 
but  the  Duke  thought  I  had  better  not" 
"Oh  I" 

Lady  Alice's  dry  tone  indicated  her  astonishment 
He  seemed  to  think  I  didn't  love  him  well  enough." 
And  didn't  you  ?" 
"He  wouldn't  let  me  try." 
120 


yfe 


THE  GIANT  J  STRENGiH 

"Were  you  ready?" 

"Yes— to  try." 

"Well,  it's  never  too  late,  you  know." 

The  swift  rose-color  came  into  Paula's  cheek,  while 
she  fixed  her  troubled  eyes  on  the  farthest  point  they 
could  see — a  swan  at  the  distant  end  of  the  lake. 

"Look  here,  my  dear,"  Lady  Alice  said,  assuming  a 
kindly,  elderly  tone,  "let  me  warn  you  of  one  thing: 
don't  trifle  with  love.  I'm  an  old  maid,  and  you  may 
think  I  don't  know  anything  about  it,  but  I  do.  I've 
had  my  experiences,  like  other  people;  and  once,  when 
I'd  seen  the  man  I  could  have  given  my  heart  to,  I 
wouldn't.  I  wouldn't  because  he  was  only  a  barrister, 
and  I  was  Lady  Alice  Holroyd,  and  I  thought  I  couldn't 
come  down.  I've  been  bitterly  punished,  I  assure  you, 
for  I've  thought  of  him  ever  since,  and  he's  been  lord 
chancellor,  too.  Don't  trifle  with  love,  dear.  It's  the 
most  precious  gift  of  life.  It  comes  to  us  once,  and  if 
we  refuse  to  take  it,  it  passes  us  by,  never  to  return 
again." 

The  ending  was  so  impressive,  and  the  Hungarian 
music  sobbed  so  despairingly,  that  Paula's  lip  trembled. 
"And  so,  dear,"  Lady  Alice  went  on,  pursuing  her 
advantage,  "you  mustn't  let  Ludovic  think  you  don't 
love  him  enough,  if  you  do." 
"Oh,  but  I  don't,"  Paula  said,  hurriedly. 
"You  said  you  could  try." 
"I  could  have  tried  then;  I  can't  now." 
"Excuse  me,  dear,"  Lady  Alice  exclaimed,  twisting 
her  mouth  into  a  sympathetic  smile.    "I'm  talking 

*  121 


'!! 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

about  what  I  have  no  business  to.    Therel    I, hall  say 

donT?  '';°T-  T  r™  '"'^y  ^  "^ean.    I  shouldn't  have 
done  «.  only  that  I  know  so  well  what  love  means,  whe^ 

Bv  t^i      f    "''"'  "°-    ^'''  '=•"'  of-mething  else 
%-the-way.  I  went  over  to  call  on  the  Winships  /ester 
day  and  I  saw  your  portrait.     It's  superb  " 
1  m  glad  you  like  it." 
The  new,  bright  color  in  Paula's  face  might  have 

'""LlehTsnT::  '""r  i"  *^  ^"'=^'='''  °f  *''-'" 

,K«'     I  *'  '^°"'-    ^*  *  =•  »P'<="'Jid  work  of  art 

speak  on  the  subject  wthout  knowledge.    That  man 
oafnteTf '"'  '"  '''";'='*  """^  '^  °"  <>*-  young 

words     IcW.fv'  ru    ''^'"  ^  '^'^-y-  •"-'^  my 
wo^ds.    1  can  t  thmk  how  you  ever  came  to  happen  on 

^Zr"'  r  ™""":  '^"-  °«"8«  Trafford.  who  sug- 
gested my  havmg  it  done."  ^ 

"She's  very  philanthropic,  isn't  she  ?    Oh  yes  I  see 

"Like  him?    How?" 
■As  a  man.    You  see,  I've  mothered  the  whole 


f     .  -  —  =«,  I  ve  moti 

Jamily,  so  to  speak,  in  times  past,  and 


past,  and  so  I  have  an 


.  .        '  —  — -—  K«ai.,  aiiu  50  1  nav 

terest  m  h,m.    How  do  you  think  he  see,™  f 


m- 


122 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Oh,  very  well." 

"Only  that?" 

"No — I  wouldn't  say  only  that." 
'He  struck  me  as  very  good-looking." 

"He  seemed  so  to  me." 

"And  I  thought  him  very  determined  and  manly,  and 
so  on.  Of  course,  I  knew  he  was;  he's  always  been  so. 
They've  had  such  a  hard  time,  you  know,  or  perhaps 
you  don't  know;  but  he  had  a  man's  pluck  even  when 
he  was  a  boy.  Now  the  worst  of  that  will  be  over  for 
them,  since  you've  given  him  such  a  lift." 

"I'm  very  glad,"  Paula  said,  just  audibly. 

"And  you've  done  him  another  good  turn.  I  don't 
know  whether  I  ought  to  tell  you  or  not." 

She  laughed  lightly,  and  Paula  lifted  her  eyes,  full 
of  inquiiy. 

"I  don't  see  why  I  shouldn't  tell  you,"  Lady  Alice 
went  on,  as  if  with  inward  amusement.  "It  can't 
matter  to  you,  after  all  the  admiration  you've  had." 

"Please  don't,"  Paula  begged. 

"Why  not  ?  It  isn't  anything  to  you,  and  to  him  it's 
like  electricity  to  the  wire.  You  know  what  artists  are. 
They  never  seem  able  to  do  their  best  work  until  they've 
found  some  one  who  appeals  to  their  imagination  as  an 
ideal.  Dante  wasn't  anything  until  he  saw  Beatrice, 
even  though  he  lived  to  many  Gemma  Donati." 

"Please  don't  go  on.  Lady  Alice.  It  makes  me  feel 
— ridiculous." 

'     "Oh,  you  know  what  I  was  going  to  say?    Then 

I  might  as  well  stop.    I  thought  I  might  be  telling  you 

123 


mi 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

irgtK^''"Vf„rr.^°"  T" '-'  -"  - 

of  thing  that  does  anv  "  '  ^"^  '"'"''  "'»  "•«  »°« 
for  men  what  it^d  L^  n^  ^^  ""r  ^^-  ^°^'  ""'t 
have  to  let  thi  it^    ^^  "hTv Ve 7™    /^'"^^ 

Whats  the  matter,  dear?    You  look  as  if,, 

gomg  to  cry.     For  mercy's  sake  don^t  dn  Vk  ^      T'* 

you  1  attract  so  much  aTtem^n  "°"    '°  "  ^''''  "''"« 

^  Im  not  going  to."  the  girl  managed  to  say 
can ?h::tr„ri:t/tht^-^No^  What 
too  impossible.     It's  L  .K      A     t'       "" '  *"•     !''» 

-yword.Ibeiev   I'J^^^tfth/f;         '""v'"     "P°" 
out  to  lool:  for  hen'..!  I T"  " '"''^ ''''o  ^=« 

Paula,  my  dear   wV  ^  ""^  '^""''  =«  P«  °f  goW- 

co,^t,,^^K:^i.t-;^ou 
ena?dT  X'^!;:r  z  r  J'^^^-^  ^S.  tm  it 

thousand  harps  ^  '''"'""6  of  the  strings  of  a 

i^  Roger.     I've  do^et^dly.:  woS"^'^'  """'  ^ 


CHAPTER  XI 


DURING  the  spring  the  first  golden  laurel-leaves 
of  popular  attention  began  dropping  into  Win- 
ship's  studio.  Before  his  work  was  finished  he  knew 
it  was  receiving  that  measure  of  respea  which  comes 
from  being  talked  about.  Up  to  the  present  his  repu- 
tation had  been  confined  to  friends,  critics,  and  con- 
noisseurs. Now  his  name  was  to  pass  from  mouth  to 
mouth,  out  from  the  narrow  circle  of  those  who  know 
a  good  thing,  to  the  broader  world  which  must  be  told 
where  to  look  for  it.  In  the  prophetic  hints  with  which 
the  great  journals  herald  the  approaching  Salon,  there 
were  frequent  hints  of  a  new,  young  artist  of  extraordi- 
nary ability,  and  the  portrait  he  was  painting  of  Made- 
moiselle TrafFord,  la  richissime  Amhicaine. 

It  was  the  first  pufF  of  the  trumpet  of  celebrity,  and 
in  it  Paula's  name  counted  for  much.  The  fact  caused 
her  an  uneasiness  which  increased  as  her  father  re- 
mained longer  away.  For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she 
had  taken  an  important  step  without  his  knowledge. 
For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  had  concealed  anything 
from  him,  and  hesitated  srill  to  make  it  known.  The 
project  undertaken  as  one  of  private  benevolence  had 
become  a  matter  of  almost  public  interest.  As  the  girl 
125 


^  OANfTS  STRENGTH 


i 


»h;  scared  .he  privife^  oQt  a.""'  '^  '^°"''  "■« 
'he  suuon.  on  the  daf  fo  ifT^  ">'  '°  «»«'  him  at 
Al;ce  at  Armenonvil  J     "°^"S  ••"  '»'t  with  Lady 

-  th:':i7stir"''T-^-'' she  began 

"owd,  the  street  cries  7n^  1        "'  ''"  ^°'^-     The 

„t.r"- ^^.^.r.t,r?i•:r.f;fi 
■■?"K■'^"'■''•8°°^■■»"■««y. 

"T  ,1.M  ,  S,  P*'  ">  of  course." 

«nt.ng,  and  sure  to  mate  tfi  1'°^^  ^"^^  "'«  venr 

"«:-pape„  have  said  ^o^J,".?"""  '  "P««io„.     ThT 

'^'^P  one's  name  outVth^o,  ^"^  ""^  ""''  "'"ays 

."And  IVe  promised  him  oKr;,?"^  '"'^^•" 
'o»  mieht  hav..  l,-,-.      ^  So  to  the  Salon  " 

'"  the  Salo/l ast  tlar  and  ?.''  '  ''"''=  **«•    Y°"  we« 

-«  to  he  taken^::rattrd:a':'^'''"-    ^^  <">-^ 

126 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"No.  I  thought  of  that.  I  shouldn't  have  done  it 
for  my  own  sake.     But  I  was  anxious  that  he  should 

.M.„  "'*""■  ''<*v»'"»ge  he  could  get  from  showing  it." 
"Who's— he  ?"  ^ 

''He's  a  friend  of  Lady  Alice's.  The  Duke  in- 
troduced him  to  me  the  first  evening  you  took  me  to  the 
Casmo  at  Monte  Carlo.  After  we  came  home  George 
told  me  who  he  was,  and  what  connection  his  family 
hid  had  with  ours." 

"What's  his  name?" 

''That's  what  you  mayn't  like,  papa." 

"Well,  it's  his  name,  dear,  I  suppose,  whether  I  like 
It  or  not,    I  didn't  baptize  him,  so  I'm  not  responsible." 
It's  Winship." 

"Surely  not  old  Rog— ?" 

"Yes,  papa.     The  very  same." 

"The  devil  it  isl  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  that  before, 
dear  f 

"I  suppose  I  should  have  done  it,  if  you  hadn't  been 
away. 

"But  I  wasn't  beyond  the  reach  of  letters,  dear— and 
you  wrote  nearly  every  day." 

"The  truth  is,  papa,  darling,  that  I  was  afraid  you 
mightn  t  approve  of  it." 

"All  the  more  reason,  then,  why  you  should  have 
told  me. 

"We  did  talk  it  over-mamma,  George,  Laura,  and 
1— and  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  just  what 
you  would  like.     You're  always   so  good,   papa,  to 
people  who've  been  your  opponents,  and—" 
"7 


THE  GIANTTS  STRENGTH 


p2  of°?'  ^°"  ''''  y"  -«  »f«id  I  wouldn't  ap. 

"I  had  that  feeling  too     Y 
to  do  something  for  them'    V„  •"*'     !'*'  '°  '""'"M 

"'■''on;;'.1.*'"^™'^*",rj5.'— 

,"h.she»hv,ngyet.isshe?" 
.,i.^».  papa,  and  such  a  sainti" 

we'i.  SttTlTthtVatr  'V'  '^"-    W'". 
"Oh.  but  there -nrpapT""""'""^" 
So  much  the  better,  then      T'.„ 
youVe  been  brought  into  ZZ'  ."""y*  ''"'•.  that 

"But  they're  SV^tlT    u  '"*  """^  P^P'«-" 
"I'm  sorj.  all  the  samt     1""  ^°"  """'^  "■em." 

J  over,  as  Wpolt'^itT;;  "ctnT  Je"  '"'  ""''"-• 
drop."  J""*  =an  let  the  acquaintance 

tell  me  how  your  motl^er^  "t  ""■  """"i^'    "N- 
„And  sometimes  you  can.    h  that  it?" 

rwhatwithoneigt'drtirr  t"  "°^" 

I  m  afra  d  I've  staveH  ,w  ,"•    "e  said,  moodily. 


THE  CUANTS  ST  «<ENGTH 

mured,  laying  her  hand  on  his  arm.    "You  know  that, 
don't  you,  p^pa,  dear  ?" 

"Yes,  dear,  I  know  it,"  he  answered,  briefly,  and 
sank  into  silence  until  they  reached  home. 

It  was  only  in  the  evening  that  he  spoke  again  of  the 
subject  Paula  had  so  much  at  heart. 

"Come  up  to  my  room,"  he  said,  as  they  rose  from 
the  table  after  dinner.  They  had  dined  alone.  Mrs. 
Trafford  had  not  left  her  room,  and  George  and  Laura 
were  out.  During  the  meal  he  had  been  unusually 
silent,  Paula  would  have  almost  said  dejected.  His 
anxiety  about  her  mother,  she  thought,  would  have 
been  enough  to  account  for  that.  She  was  not  ex- 
pecting his  first  words,  as  he  closed  the  door  of  the  large, 
book-lined  room,  half  library,  half  office,  into  which 
they  entered. 

"Did  I  understand  you  rn  say,"  he  asked,  "that 
Lady  Alice  Holroyd  suggested  your  being  painted  by 
this  man  Winship  ?" 

"Oh  no.  I  said  only  that  she  knew  them.  In 
fact,  she  and  the  Duke  have  looked  after  them,  more  or 
less,  for  years  past.  They've,  often  been  over  to  stay 
with  them  at  Edenbridge." 

"Then  whose  idea  was  it  ?    I  mean  the  portrait." 

He  lighted  a  cigar,  and  Paula  seated  herself  on  a 
sofa. 

"It  was  Laura  who  spoke  of  it  first,  but  it  was  I  who 
wanted  to  help  them.     If  there's  any  blame  to  be  at- 
tached anywhere,  it's  mine.     Laura  only  suggested  it, 
because  she  knew  I  wanted  to  do  something  for  them." 
129 


! 


■THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"Why?" 
-MtZ."' '••"'• '^•^-'••o  poor.    TT,eD„,e 

,,  No.  papa."  '  8'"""=«<'  »*  her  in  passing. 

"Then  what  other  reason  had  you?" 

And  then?" 

"Then  I  was  sony  (,-,  them     r 

-;^-     If<''a.ifIwL;esSbir'»''««h.n 

Responsible?"  he  exclaim.r  • 

'^•thasharpjerkofhisper^on    "R  ""'''".!'«  ''•f""  »>" 
"Perhaps  I  used  ,h,  ^''PonwWe  for  what?" 

•0%.  "Wilt  itit  tsTt'-r''"  ^'■^  --"i 

them,  it  should  be  oneTf  ul"       '"^  °"'  *'"""''  ^elp 
Why  should  we?" 
"For  the  reason  that  w..  k.j     i. 
P-Pet^.  if  .he«  wet  noi-"''"  "**''  '°  ''«  ">- 
i=no;J"'s^L'^^:i7j;!-«'    That's  what  I  want  to 

I  had  no  other,  papa." 
Are  you  sure  of  that?" 

and  again  paused  befo"  her"'  "'  ""'  '''^"  "■«  '°<»". 

the  Wn:^;??""  '°  ^°"  *«  '  "^gh*  ''ave  been  hard  to 

130 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Ye.,  papa." 

"Did  the  thought  come  to  you  that  I  might  even  have 
been  unjust  to  them  ?" 

"Yes,  papa." 

"And  what  then?" 

"I  knew  you  couldn't  have  been.  I  knew  it  wasn't 
possible." 

"How  did  you  know?" 

"  I  knew  by  myself,  first  of  all.  I  knew  you  wouldn't 
be.  Then  I  talked  it  over  with  Laura,  and  she  told  me 
that  no  one  could  go  behind  the  law,  and  that  if  the 
law  is  on  your  side  you  must  be  right.  And  then, 
besides,"  she  added,  looking  up  at  him  with  a  smile,  "I 
was  quite  sure  of  it.  No  one  would  make  me  believe  oth- 
erwise, no  matter  what  they  said,  no  matter  what  I  saw." 

Trafford's  brow  cleared  suddenly.  He  slipped  to 
her  side  on  the  sofa,  and  drew  her  to  him. 

"You  were  quite  right  to  have  done  it,  darling," 
he  murmured.  "I'm  glad  you  thought  of  it.  It's  just 
like  your  goodness.  I  know  I  can  always  trust  to  that. 
I  do  like  to  help  those  whom,  in  the  way  of  business, 
I've  had  to  hit  hard.  But  you'll  never  think  that  I  hit 
hard  without  reason,  will  you  ?  You  see,  that's  what  I 
was  afraid  of;  and  it  would  be  a  dark  day  for  me  if  my 
little  girl  went  over,  even  in  thought,  to  my  enemies. 
You  never  will,  will  you,  dear  ?" 

In  the  very  act  of  giving  the  assurance  he  asked,  a 
sudden  determination  came  to  her.  It  was  the  woman 
m  her  unconsciously  taking  advantage  of  the  man's 
moment  of  softness. 

'3» 


™E  GIANTS  smENCTH 


1,1 


three  hundred  thouTndf™^  """  ""'"  ^-'v  had 
another  two  hundred  tho^ani^'  ""''*  ^''«^'  ="«• 
Why  do  you  a.k  ?"  '^~"'  >"»"'  """t  Jane. 

a  ™nute  he  made  no  re,po",e         '  ''"'"*""'■     ^°' 
proachtl?.'"  '""  '""'^'<'  '«  ™'"  he  .aid  at  la.t.  re- 

oh.Xa7iLX"™:r  7  -.T-"- 

y^-are.    I'm  «  unha^y'bouT  h    Vh    '>"  "' '^ 
that  money.    I  don't  w,n»  V      ^  "'""t  want  all 

'"■"le  peace  of  nTd  L  tlT^"^    i  """"  ^'"'^"'  » 
n>uch  for  me  to^ve  "  ^^^    ^'  ''""''^"''  ''•  ^'^y 

-- >'.  in  .ou.  op.r::ttrh!ris 

I-iaSoKtatwa?    ^^-    ^--^--^ 
i3i 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Neither  in  that  way  nor  in  any  other  way,"  he  com- 
mented, itill  coldly,  at  he  tote. 

"You're  wrong,  papa,"  the  laid  to  henelf,  while  an 
expression  of  mingled  radiance  and  fear  came  over  her. 
"There  still  remains— the  way  you  haven't  thought  of." 

And  she  sat  still,  dreaming. 


CHAPTER  XII 

expire";':;:;;  £  ;:!:'•" "« ".^ "'-  ^-  — t 

Ropr."  '  '""  ~"«  'g'i".  if  she  marrief 

Oh,  mother,  don't  sav  »i,,.     t  i 

f -njcing  of  it,  but  ft  ;i,j\':„  L  "TJ°"'r  ■"=*" 

Roger  ruined,  as  father  was  tJ„  '•  /  "*''"  "«« 
She  comes  here  with  hJ  ?""""* '°  »  T»fford. 

"She means  w?det  Tl'f  "''T°  ''"^  ^ " 

judgehermorejustty  kiss  °?H  ?-"''*"'*"'* 
»s  a  ring  came'to  the  dZ7  ^''Jl' t^" '^' -<'^^^' 
till  Roger  comes"  ^ow,  leave  us  together 

-!::^:tl:r'g,s^^r7^°ftHepor- 

at  the  end  of  the  ^r  ,  ^  "™'''  "  "°°<J  n°w 

congruous  splend t !«;;  n  '""''H='  'P°*  "^  '"" 
ings.  "^  "'""'  *''«  P°^=tty  of  its  surround- 

"IVe  written  a  check  for  twenty  thousand  francs," 
•34 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Paula  whispered,  hurriedly,  when  the  first  ereetina 
were  over.  "DearM«.  Winship.doukeit.  I  daren't 
pve  It  to  your  son  himself.  When  you  said  eight 
thousand,  you  didn't  know  it  would  turn  out  such  a 
work  as  this." 

"Yra,  I  did,  dear.    I  knew  Roger  couldn't  do  any- 
thing but  what  would  be  very  great.    I  mustn't  take 
the  money,  dear.     I  know  what  is  in  your  heart,  but 
It  would  give  Roger  great  pain  to  be  offered  more  than 
the  sum  agreed  upon." 
"But  it  isn't  wonhy  of  what  he's  done—" 
"You  see,  dear,"  she  interrupted,  "he  doesn't  value 
nis  work  by  money." 
"But  he  ought." 

"You  think  so  because  you're  young.  I  would  have 
said  so,  too--once.  But,  oh,  my  dear,  I've  lived  lone 
enough  to  see  how  little  money  can  do  towards  buying 
us  the  things  most  worth  having.  Roger  is  wiser  than 
T"/,?'  ""*  "S^-  "*''  beginning  where  I  leave  off. 
and  I  bless  God  for  it.  He's  found  already  the  secret  I 
had  to  learn  through  so  much  struggle  and  sorrow  " 

She  lay  back  on  her  pillow,  with  closed  eyes,  as  if  so 
many  words  had  exhausted  her.  Paula  was  wondering 
whether  she  ought  not  to  ring  for  some  one,  when  the 
blind  woman  raised  herself  and  spoke  again. 

"I  take  your  own  case  as  an  example,  dear.     You're 
tich,  and  you  want  to  help  us.    You'd  like  to  give  us 
money;  you  don't  see  that  you've  given  us  more  than 
money  m  giving  us  yourself." 
"But  there's  the  money,  too,"  Paula  urged. 
'35 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Forgive  me  if  I  speak  too  plainly,"  Mrs.  Winship 
quavered  on.  "I  haven't  long  to  stay  hete,  now-a 
few  days— a  few  hours— perhaps  not  that.  I  feel  the 
heavenly  gates  opening  to  let  me  in;  and  before  I  go  I'd 
like  to  teU  you  that  I've  read  your  heart  aright.  You've 
seen  that  we've  had  to  suffer  for  the  conflicts  of  the  past 
and  you've  wanted  to  give  us  back  something  of  what 
we've  lost.  Isn't  that  it  ?" 
"I  hoped—"  Paula  began. 

"And  you've  succeeded,  dear.  The  Lord  is  letting 
me  depart  in  a  peace  I  should  never  have  known  if 
you  hadn't  come.  You've  done  more  for  me  and 
mine — " 

"I've  done  nothing  at  all  for  Roger,"  Paula  interrupt- 
ed, quickly,  calling  him,  for  the  first  time,  by  his  Chris- 
tian name. 

^^  "It  will  be  shown  you,"  the  mother  sighed,  gently. 
"Where  there  are  young  hearts,  like  yours  and  his, 
they'll  not  go  far  astray." 

She  sank  back  on  the  pillows  again,  and  lay  still,  with 
closed  eyes.  As  Paula  watched,  a  bright  pallor,  like 
an  illumination,  stole  over  the  waxen  face.  Presently 
there  came  a  light  breathing,  though  the  blind  eyes 
remained  closed.  Paula  sat  still,  wondering  if  this 
might  not  be  the  distant  approach  of  death,  till,  with  a 
wide  swing  of  the  door  and  long,  vigorous  tread,  Win- 
ship  came  in.  She  motioned  him  to  step  lightly,  and 
pointed  to  his  mother. 

"Marah,  come  here,"  he  called,  in  a  loud  whisper, 
through  the  still  open  doorway. 
136 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"You've  tired  her.  Miss  Trafford."  Marah  said, 
bluntly,  when  she  appeared. 
I'm  very  sorry." 
Mrs.  Winship  stirred. 

"No,  dear,  no,"  she  murmured,  faintly.    "It  isn't 
your  fault.    It's  only  that  I'm  going-going-home." 
bhe  dropped  away  again  into  what  seemed  like  sleep 
..CL  .If      "^  ^y  *'  """Chair,  fanning  her. 
Shell    be   better    now,"   Winship   whispered   to 
^aula.       Come  and  give  me  your  final  judgment  on 
the  portrait."  '' 

They  slipped  away  silently  to  the  end  of  the  long  room, 
where  the  woman  in  black  and  green  regarded  them, 
w.th  her  eternal  What  ?  and  Why  i  For  a  few  minutes 
they  stood  side  by  side  without  speaking.  The  feeling 
was  m  both  their  hearts  that  they  were  turning  their 
backs  on  death  and  the  past,  to  look  out  towards  life 
and  the  future. 

"You've  changed  it  in  some  way,"  Paula  observed 
at  last. 

"I  thought  you  might  like  it  better  so." 
This  seems  to  me  Paula  Trafford  mote  as  she  looks 
'"f,"?,^^'  """^ ''"'  »«  ""  abstract  conception." 

TTiat'sit.  Lady  Alice  said  I  was  wrong.  She  said 
the  abstract  conceptions,  rather  than  the  mere  portraits, 
survive  best  as  works  of  art-that  'Mona  Lisa'  and 

any  of  Vandyck's  cavaliers,  or  Vigee-Ubrun's  'Marie 

Antoinette,.'    Perhaps  she's  right,  but  in  your  case 

i  prefer  the  more  absolute  likeness.    You  see,  I  was 

137 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
tWnking  of  you  too  much  a.  a  type  and  too  little  a.  a 

m7^iS''''"  of  me  as  a  type,"  she  complained. 

wistfully.       I  have  to  stand  for  Money,  lilce  the  female 

figure  on  a  stock-exchange." 
"I  didn't  mean  that.    If  I  thought  of  you  as  «»--- 

«n«ng  Wealth,  it  was  that  great,  stran«n^?„^;^ 

of  American  weakh  that  is  unlike' ever^^gleT 

-.5°  y°"  "?«»»■»  the  way  in  which  it's  acquired  ?" 
world?,  '  '"  *"  "^y  '"  ""^''^  "'»  '•"P«''«d-  The 
spent  with  so  much  generosity.  The  spectacle  ;» 
quate  novel,  and  must  he  extrelly  pu^L'gTl;! 

Paula  colored,  and  looked  away.    They  spoke  in  low 
ton«  so  as  not  to  disturb  Mrs.  Winship 
"thiTrt'"  '••":'"'"«<>.  »ft"  a  minute's  refleaion. 

toL       J  h  '  '^'"  '^  '*  ""^  '"-^P^"*  »»<»  '"-gotten 

Im;   \^f"''"°'"y  "  '"  y°"  possession,  it's  somS^ne 
at  least  to  do  good  with  it."  «=""ng, 

"Good"  Winship  observed,  turning  on  her  one  of 
h.s  gleaming  looks-"good  is  an  essLaUy  spiritual 
quality  that  is  not  to  be  commanded  by  any  s^^m'  n  thj 

'•Money  must,  at  least,  enlarge  one's  opportunities." 

I  here  s  no  question  about  that.     And  yet  the  man 

SVr'r  ^Tr':^P^  «  benefit  mankind*;  pay- 

"Ln  .""u'  ^°  '"'•"'  ^°"  ""  e°°<»  '0  »ny  one.''  ^^ 
St.ll.     she  argued,  "if  Paul  has  been  fed  and 
138 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

clothed  and  educated,  you've  added  something  to  the 
total  of  human  happiness." 

"Not  when  youVe  left  Peter  hungry  and  naked  and 
brutahzed,  and  tricked  of  the  means  that  were  honestly 
his.  That's  the  specttcle  to  which  some  of  our  great 
philanthropic  .manciers  are  treating  us-and  the  angels 
who  look  on  must  often  be  in  doubt  as  to  whether  to 
laugh  or  to  weep." 

"It  seems  to  me  cruel  to  say  that,"  she  said,  flushine 
still  more  deeply. 

"So  it  is.  But  it's  only  the  cruelty  inherent  in  the 
situation  when  Paul  reflects  on  the  charity  offered  him 
through  the  robbery  of  Peter." 

"Docs  he  often  do  that  ?" 

"Perhaps  not  often,  but  he'll  le^m." 

"When?" 

"When  the  American  people  have  begun  to  judge  by 
standards  of  right  and  wrong,  rather  than  by  those  of 
material  success." 

"  Then  we  shall  have  a  long  rime  to  wait." 

"If  it's  too  long,  there  may  be  a  short  way  taken— 
that  is,  if  we  may  judge  by  analogous  situations  in 
history.  When  moral  progress  is  too  slow  to  right  in- 
tolerable wrongs,  the  human  race  has  a  way  of  ap- 
pealing to  the  fire  and  the  sword." 
"Do  they  gain  anything  by  that  ?" 
"You've  only  to  look  about  you  and  see.  The 
France  you're  living  in  may  be  bad  enough,  but  it's 
heaven  itself  compared  to  what  it  was  before  the  Rev- 
olution." 

139 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"Not  if  our  moral  force,  develop  theirwelve.,  as  they 
should;  not  .f  we  can  supplant  our  love  of  me;  bS 
ZT-  ^^/"  »PP'~i»'i°n  of  the  simpler,  holier  ele- 
ment, m  life:  not  .f  the  rich  man  would  be  content  with 
h"  own  flock  and  herd,  without  snatching  the  p^^ 
nun  s  one  ewHamb.  Then.  Miss  Traffofd.  the^re'd 
oe^  no  new  American  revolution.     But  if—" 

•But  if  these  si^  and  wonden  don't  come  to  pass  f" 
I  m  neither  a  pe«imist  nor  a  prophet,"  he  smiled 

his  chateau  at  Versailles  he  started  the  train  of  evena 

which  drove  the  French  people  into  setting  upThe 

guillotine.    I  read  the  same  moral  among  eve^  ~ople 

on  earth  where  there  ha.  been  a  heapinjup  oTSh 
and  p      leg,  fo,  ,  ^      ^^^  ^^^  ^  P    S^JP  J  weal  h 

and  harder  to  exist." 

"And  it  is  that  heaping-up  of  wealth  that  you  take 
me  to  stand  for?"  ^ 

There  was  no  indignation  in  her  tone.  In  her  ex- 
pressK>n  there  was  only  the  look  of  pathetic  interroga- 
tion he  had  caught  m  her  portrait.  Winship  met  her 
pze  calmly  and  frankly.  Whatever  he  felt'nwardt 
^e  appeal  of  her  helplessness  did  not  make  him  flinch 
He  meant  that  she  should  understand  his  view  of  her 
position. 

forTt  t"^'"'-  °^'  8™"  »><»"«."  he  said,  "stands 

for  that  house    in  it.  good  and  it.  evil.    Iphigenia 

couldn  t  be  other  than  an  Atrides.  though  she  heS 

140 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

was  innocent  enough.    Madame  Eliaabeth  couldn't  be 
other  than  a  Bourbon,  though  she  herself  could  never 
have  done  wilful  wrong  to  any  one.    And  Miss  Paula 
TrafFord— no,  no,"  he  broke  off,  "I  won't  say  it." 
"Pleasel"  she  begged.    "Pleasel    I  insist." 
"Miss  Paula  Trafford,"  he  went  on  again,  "comes 
of  a  race  that  has  had  a  giant's  strength,  and  has  used 
It  hlte—a  giant!    There!    I've  offended  you,  and  we've 
been  such  good  friends  till  now!    To-morro>;  this  will 
have  gone  to  the  Salon,  and  our  association  together 
will  be  over.    You  will  have  your  portrait,  and  I  shall 
have — " 
•'What  ?"  she  questioned.    "You  will  have— what  ?" 
"I  shall  have  the  joy  of  having  painted  it.     It  will 
go  where  I  shall  probably  never  see  it;  but  it  will  remain 
my  work.    As  long  as  it  exists,  it  wiU  present  you  as 
I've  seen  and  known  and  understood  you.     That's  a 
part  of  the  artist's  recompense  that  he  can  never  lose. 
Nothing  could  take  away  from  Pygmalion  the  gloiy  of 
havmg  created  Galatea." 
"But  Galatea  came  to  life  for  him." 
She   stopped   abruptly,   biting   her   lip.      She   had 
spoken  without  weighing  the  significance  of  her  words. 
The  color  that  came  and  went  in  her  cheek  called  fonh 
a  dark  Bush  in  Winship's  as,  for  the  first  time,  they 
stood  looking  at  each  other  in  emotion  they  made  no 
effort  to  conceal.    The  silence  that  followed  seemed  to 
throb  with  what  could  not  be  spoken. 

"She  will  always  live  for  me,"  he  said,  with  a  slight 
gesture  towards  the  portrait. 
HI 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
«.!<•' y**~*!  *'  ''°"""  '''"' «'"'''  never  diModate  h«r 
"Couldn't  ihe?" 

io^^Sn^^irir"^'-"--- 

..That',  for  you  to  judge."  .he  mumured,  faintly. 

bestow  Lf?o,^h^     I.  w«r"  ''"{"'  *'  S""^  •<> 
miracle."  "  "^  P"J'"  *«  ^"ght  the 

«n;Sin7i;t.f'^'''  »'-'^'  ""Wing  nearer 

life—?"  "<— tne  .hanng  of  a  poor  man's 

"Roger!    Quick!    Come  here!" 

mother's  .ide.     PaLr  fo^d  J^'"  """•"'  '"  '"^ 

^g'u^S"  Her"'"'  '"''"  ■■"  ''^  •="-  ""» - 

S  «  r     I"""  """  "•"-""'ched  and  her 

raised,  as  though  in  .application.    -         - 

eye.  seemed  r    •     -    -  - 


hands 


Kogerl    she  called,  in  a  loud,  clear  voice. 
'♦2 


THE  OANTS  STRENGTH 


He  seized  her  hand  in 


"Yei,  mother,  I'm  here." 
both  of  hit. 
"Paulal" 

The  voice  wai  weaker  now,  but  the  left  hand  seemed 
to  beat  d.e  air  feeling  for  a  response.  Paula  clasped 
the  tremblmg  fingers  to  her  breast. 

Slowly,  feebly,  and  with  the  last  act  of  earthly  streneth. 
the  dying  woman  drew  the  two  hands  together. 
PardonI"  she  murmured. 
Neither  Paula  nor  Winship  glanced  at  each  other, 
rhey  lost  thought  for  what  was  happening  to  them- 
selves, m  the  sight  of  the  passage  of  a  soul.  When  their 
hands  m«,  it  was  with  a  firm,  instinctive  clasp. 

Lovel"  the  mother  sighed  again,  and  fell  back 
among  the  pillows. 

^L*";"^".  '  '°"8  minute's  waiting,  till  the  silence 
was  broken  by  Marah's  wail. 

"Oh,  mother,  motherl  have  you  no  word  for  me? 
1  ve  loved  you  sol    I've  loved  you  sol" 

The  little  old  maid  flung  herself  upon  her  knees. 
It  seemed  to  her  now  as  if  she  had  been  deprived  of  the 
last  poor  bit  of  human  rights;  for  the  blind  woman 
never  spoke  again. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

'The  blind  woman  never  ipoke  again.  She  lingered 
1  a  few  day,  «,|1,  but  before  the  Salon  wai  opened, 
and  the  cjowd.  had  begun  to  gather  about  her  .on', 
great  work,  .he  wa.  lying  beneath  a  tiny,  flower-decked 
chapel  up  on  Montpamane. 

Win.hip  found  hinuelf  in  the  fint  degree,  of  fame 
without  paying  any  attention  to  the  fact.  Rather  he 
accepted  the  fact  a.  one  of  two  or  three  new  condi- 
«on.  that  would  bnng  momentous  change,  into  hi.  life. 
After  a  youth  of  hard  work,  pinched  mean.,  and  the 
narrowest  path  of  duqr.  he  had  come  face  to  face  with  a 
future  full  of  po^.bihty.  He  wa.  neither  elated  by  hi, 
Mcce,.  nor  confu«d  by  hi.  power  of  choice.  He  had 
known  for  year,  what  lay  before  him  to  do.  if  ever  he 
had  the  chance-and  the  chance  had  come. 

He  had  had  no  communicatio.i  with  Paula  .ince  the 
day  when  h„  mother  had  ;  ned  their  hand.,  in  an  act 
of  which  neither  knew  the  .ignificance^if  it  had  .ignifi- 
cance  at  aU.  She  had  written  an  affectionate  nc^of 
sympathy  to  Marah,  and  had  left  with  her  father  for  a 
few  week,  m  the  Touraine.  But  Win.hip  knew  there 
jva,  no  coquetry  m  thi,  withdrawal;  it  wa,  only  flight 
from  a  situation  of  which  neither  he  nor  .be  wa.  .ure 
144 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
Paula',  thought!  were  not  with  Marie  de  Medici  at 

finnr^r  ^^-  ^  ^"^«"'  "  L'"8eai..  nor  with 
J«inne  d  An:  at  Ch.non.  nor  with  Diane  de  Poitier,  at 
Chenonceau  They  were  back  in  the  long,  red  ttudio. 
piecmg  together  the  event,  of  the  pa.t  winter,  and  trac 
u>g  the  pit^  through  which  her  mind  had  come  to 
•ubmit  Itself  to  Roger  Winahip'.. 

«Z''"k'~'"  '°  "^  '"  »  '»«»'".  dear."  her  father  had 

aid  to  her  once  or  twice,  and  the  statement  fitted  her. 

It  ^3  nota  waking  life.  the«  day.  on  the  bank,  of  the 

hate  found  there  that  setting  of  lately  ca.tle  and  broad 
champaign  which  wftens  crime  into  adventure  and 
passion  into  romance.  The  spell  of  the  long  past  min- 
.t  W.  K  f^""""."' *e  strange,  new  life  into  which 
she  felt  herself  entering.    The  memories  of  splendid. 

shutting  in  the  mysterious  chamber  of  her  heart.  She 
made  no  effort  to  confront  her  problems  or  to  smooth 

i^'tT^^'  V  ~"''"*'  ^°'  *'  '"°'™'«.  to  move 

m  her  dream-the  dream  in  which  love  is  still  able  to 
keep  to  its  defenceless  paradise. 

With  the  return  to  town,  the  thought  of  the  practical 
became  more  insistent.  What  was  to  happen  ?  How 
wa,  It  to  happen?  The  old  life  seemed  to  close  in  so 
tenaciously  about  her  that  she  wondered  how  it  would 
ever  be  possible  to  get  out  of  it.     Even  her  dream  lost 

invitations  to  dmner.    With  all  that  she  could  not  avoid 

doing.  ,t  was  the  third  day  after  her  return  before  she 

»4S 


f 


III  k 


ill  I 


THE  GLWrS  STRENGTH 

could  fina  time  to  mmI  into  th«  S.lon,  .nd  Me  the 
effect  of  her  poitnit  ai  it  hung.  So  much  had  been 
Mid  of  ,t  at  wcial  gathering.,  and  in  the  p«„,that  even 
her  family  were  n,u«d  to  «,me  degree  of  intere«. 
W«n  they  began  pUnn,^  ,  p,„y  ,„  ^  ,„j  ^  .^ 
together,  Paula  letzed  the  Brtt  occasion  to  .lip  off  alone. 
It  wa.  a  wild,  wet  afternoon;  there  would  be  few  vi.. 

Sf      '^  ^*''^'  *""  °^  '■"'"8  *^  ealkT  to 

gL7"pV'\''^^-  '^  8«at  room,  of  the 
Grand  Palai.  de«rted  except  for  the  uniformed 
guardian.,  and  a  wliuiy  wanderer  here  and  there 
.ucceeded  each  other  in  long,  empty  vi.ta.  of  color.' 
Her  own  portrait  held  a  con.picuou.  place  of  honor, 
and  of  the  rare  vi,itor.  two  or  three  were  generally 
mtioned  before  it.    She  .at  on  a  divan  in  the  centre 

with  the  object  of  ■ntere.t  on  the  wall. 

A.  .he  gazed  about  her  .he  thought  with  compa..ion 
of  the  amount  of  ambition  and  toil  that  had  gone  to 
make  up  .uch  a  collection-toil  that  would  never  reap 
an  adequate  reward,  ambition  that  would  never  have 
any  fulfilment.  Who  would  buy  the  hundred,  upon 
hundred,  of  landscape,  and  wa-view.,  of  dom.«ic 
^ne.  and  ttudie.  of  «ill  life,  that  hung  about  her? 
They  might  have  been  those  of  last  year,  or  of  the 
year  before,  or  of  the  year  before  that,  or  of  any  year 
.mce  the  Salon  was  founded.  What  became  of  all  the 
pictures  that  were  painted  ?  What  became  of  the  men 
and  women  who  painted  them?  The  feeling  of  pity 
146 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


qu«do„.o„chedrr„.h".Tov^'^-"^  ""^  *• 

noticed  then,      The  dumK  !k-        u  T  ^  '"**  "•*•' 
for  a  glan«  and  .he  h,?-     ^"^  J"*  'PP*'''*"  "  "^^ 

^ort  and    iiror     ^"''"^  •  P""''""'-    So  much 
^t  and    ittle  or  no  recompen«I    Her  father  or 

George  would  Koff  at  all  that  Wn.hip  cou  d  ea™  n  J 

year.    Even  for  this  thing,  which  wa.  .bunted  aTcd 

he  had  received  but  eight  thousand  fraoTand  rj 

man  of  h.,  standing,  wa.  to  be  considered  weU  laid 

fofaM-r'^r'    ?'  "l"  "^"^  '^-  "  -H 

r;^,S::Sn:d'^f^— =^" 

tnat  ne  should  be  dependent  on  their  patronage  That 
at  least,  need  never  h*  .h.  «a  j  "wge.  i  nat, 
tion  ShVl^j  L-  ;  o  «fl«««d.  with  some  exulta- 
tion She  had  no  high-flown  theories  of  the  beauty  o' 
art  or  of  the  nob  itv  of  toil  It  „,.  '"  °e»"'y  o 
.1.,.  .L  .     .  ^  '•     "  was  enoueh  to  know 

She  had  reached  this  point  in  her  meditations  when  a 
'47 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Sr^risit.'""  ^'"'"■''  ''^''<^'''  -  - 

There  were  many  rea«.n8  why  it  should  be  a  moment 

t^r'"'::^'^-  ^^ey  had  IWed  thigh 
mondM  of  „pre«ed  emotion-month,  in  which  eafh 
had  been  a  problem  in  the  other's  life.    The  thought  of 

of  mutual  nghts  and  wrongs.    Now  it  leaped  to  the 
front  and  claimed  the  field. 
Before  he  realized  what  he  was  sayne  Winshin  1.,^ 

done  Aatwhich  for weeks,he  had  bTKS^^^^^^^^ 
atan^'heh  r^"f''!'r''""y"""*°4wom. 
an,  and  he  had  implored  her  to  be  hi.  wife.  He  had 
done  ,t  with  a  few  quick,  passionate  words,  in  which 

with  which  he  had  meant  to  speak.  He  had  foreseen 
A.S  moment,  but  he  had  foreseen  it  as  one  of  co^" 

al£^f ""''°'"-  "" '"''  P'^P""''  Ws  points,  as'an 
ambassador  prepare,  a  treaty,  and  lol  theV  had  gone 
for  naught  The  unexpected  sight  of  herf  sittinf  on 
the  red  d.^„.  .imply  dressed  in  black,  as  though  "n 
moummg  for  his  mother,  had  swept  away  aU  h" 
Aeone.  and  left  him  nothing  but  his  passbn  a,  a 
■nan.  The  mmute  she  lifted  her  surprised,  appeal- 
ing eye.  to  h..  there  had  been  only^one  'thi'ng  to 

There  wa.  no  formal  greeting  between  them.    He 
shpped  on  to  the  divan  without  touching  her  hand. 
1  didnt  know  you  were  back."  he  whispered. 
Uon  t  go  away  and  leave  me  like  that  again." 
148 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
J'Did  you  mi«  me  ?"  ,he  a.ked.  with  childlike  direct- 

Sen"  ^„;-.red'/Tt  'iiztr  ^.r™/"  '■"- 

my   mother   in    her    Brv./e      Wh.n    „  . 

"I  didn't  know  you  wanted  me." 

His  response  came  in  the  tones  that  ring  forever  in  a 

burthl^;  J^         "  ^°'^  P»"'»  •'»<>  he^rd  before 

her  ^  1  "'"' "  ""^^  *"  '^  »  ""•«<=  with  whkh 
her  own  bemg  sang.    They  were  only  the  wellW 

ftrs^7:::„;dr:"tteS- 

aW  f^'^rr-"^  --  before  hStn^eTrt;;' 
'"sSre'd^^ttr;ar-^""---°-^' 

•49  '^ 


THE  CiANTS  STRENGTH 

looked  down  on  them  from  her  gilded  frame,  with  her 
ever-unanswered  What?  and  Whjrf 

Perhap.  it  was  the  sight  of  that  which  recalled  Win- 
ship  to  himself.  All  at  once  he  seemed  to  fall  from  the 
blue  ether  where  he  and  Paula  had  floated  alone,  to 
hnd  himself  again  part  of  an  intricate  society  He 
came  down  with  a  swift  realization  of  the  change  which 
a  few  minutes  had.produced.  There  was  no  dash  upon 
his  happiness:  he  had  only  the  sudden  fear  of  owing 
his  happiness  to  a  trick. 

He  had  not  explained  himself  to  Paula  as  he  had  in- 
tended. He  had  not  made  clear  to  her  the  distinction 
he  dr<^  between  Paula,  the  woman  made  in  the  image 
of  God,  and  Miss  Trafford,  the  heiress  of  the  man  who 
had  ruined  his  father,  Roger  Winship,  in  order  to  insure 
his  OTTO  success.  In  their  mutual  situation  love  alone 
could  not  be  the  determining  element,  and  she  had 
given  her  promise  without  understanding  a  point  which 
to  him  was  essential.  With  what  skill  he  could  master 
he  must  weave  the  warning  in,  as  a  skilful  composer  wiU 
make  the  death-motive  heard  in  the  veiy  strains  of  the 
love-chant. 

"  Paula  dear  Paula,"  he  whispered,  "I've  been  afraid 
of  you.  I  ve  been  afraid  you  wouldn't  come  with  me 
on  the  road  I  must  tiavel." 

ealh  "  ^  ""^'""  ^*^  y°"'  R°ger-anywhere  on 

"It  won't  be  an  easy  way-especially  for  you." 
Nothing  will  be  hard  with  you  to  help  me.     I've 
plenty  of  courage   to   face   whatever   must   be  en- 
150 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


I've  some  skill,  too,"  she  added,  with  a 
Above  all,  you'll  need 


countered, 
smile. 

"You'll  need  it,  darling, 
faith  in  me." 

"You  couldn't  overtax  that,  Roger." 

"Our  love  can't  take  the  common  coune.  You  and 
I  cant  be  like  a  knight  and  a  lady  in  a  troubadour's 
romance.  We  have  other  things  between  us  than  just 
the  fact  that  we  love  each  other." 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  puzzled  expression  and 
an  air  of  listening  only  half  attentively.  A  far-off 
clatter  of  footsteps  caught  her  ear,  with  a  hum  of 
voices. 

"Even  before  we  met,  we  were  united  by  a  past—" 
Wmship  pursued. 

I'Oh,  don't  let  us  talk  of  that  now,"  she  entreated. 
On  the  contrary,  we  must.    Don't  let  us  have  any 
Kserves  between  us.    It's  been  in  your  thoughts  aU 
wmter,  as  it's  been  in  mine—" 

The  sound  of  footsteps  drew  nearer,  and  she  hastened 
to  speak. 

"But  it's  all  over  now,  Roger.  All  I  have  is  yours- 
all  I  shall  ever  have—" 

She  stopped  abruptly.  The  quick,  incisive  ring  of  one 
oJ  the  approaching  voices  frightened  her. 

"You  yourself  will  be  enough,  dear,"  Winship  said, 
with  a  significant  inflection. 

But  she  was  no  longer  listening.  She  sat  erect,  alert 
and  pale.  The  voice  was  surely  Uura's.  The  party 
were  advancing,  not  directly  behind  them,  but  through 
'51 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

a  seriet  of  room*  at  the  side.    Even  Winship's  atten- 
tion was  diverted  to  them  now. 

"If  you'd  only  listen  to  me,  George,"  Laura  was 
protesting,  "we  shouldn't  have  had  this  endless  tramp. 
I  knew  from  the  beginning  that  it  was  down  this  way. 
No  wonder  poor  Aunt  Trafford  k  tired  out." 

Winship  and  Paula  sprang  to  their  feet.  Instinc- 
tively they  moved  apart.  Winship  retreated  a  few 
paces  from  the  divan,  while  Paula  turned  to  confront 
the  members  of  her  family,  as  they  came  in,  in  irregular 
procession,  from  the  adjoining  room.  Mrs.  George 
was  in  the  forefront. 

"Why,  here's  Paula,  Uncle  Trafford,"  she  called  back, 
from  the  threshold.  "After  all  the  hunt  we've  had 
for  her,  we  find  her  on  the  spot." 

"There's  no  help  for  it,"  the  girl  reflected,  feeling 
less  brave  than  a  minute  or  two  ago.  "I  must  tell 
them — and  do  it  now." 

"For  goodness'  sake,  Paula,"  Mrs.  Trafford  panted, 
as  she  marched  in  fanning  herseh,  "I  wish  you  wouldn't 
spirit  yourself  away,  where  no  one  knows  where  to  look 
for  you.  Your  father's  been  turning  the  house  upside- 
down.  He's  been  as  crazy  as  if  you'd  been  kidnapped." 
"It's  all  right  now,  since  we've  found  her,"  Paul 
Trafford  laughed,  striding  up  to  his  daughter  and 
pinching  her  cheek.  "So  this  is  the  famous  portrait. 
Well,  it's  you,  sure  enough." 

"Portrait  de  Mademoiselle  T ,"  George  Trafford 

read  from  the  inscription.     "I  should  label  it  'A  Note 

of  Interrogation.'    He's  made  you  look  as  new-bom  into 

152 


THE  GIANT3  STRENGTH 

die  mysterie*  of  this  terraqueous  globe  as  Eve  when  she 
first  wakes  in  the  garden.  No  one  could  possibly  live 
to  your  sge  and  be  as  innocent  as  that." 

"That's  the  black-and-green  thing  Paquin  made 
for  you,"  Mrs.  Trafford  commented,  sinking  on  the 
divan.  "Why  on  earth  did  you  select  that?  I  sup- 
pose It  was  to  bring  out  your  complexion.  It  does  do 
that,  I  must  say." 

^^  "That's  a  beautiful  malachite  table,"  Laura  observed. 
"  George,  dear,  I'm  simply  dying  to  have  one.  It  would 
p  so  well  in  the  tapestry-room  at  Tuxedo.  I  believe 
he  s  copied  the  gilded  legs  of  this  one  from  the  mala- 
chite ubie  in  the  Grand  Trianon." 

All  eyes  were  bent  on  the  portrait.  To  Winship, 
standing  remote  and  in  the  background,  no  one  had 
given  a  glance.  Paula  kept  herself  rigid  and  erect, 
waiting  for  her  moment  It  was  not  till  her  father  turn- 
ed again  towards  her,  after  a  few  more  comments  from 
the  family,  all  in  the  same  strain,  that  she  knew  the 
hour  had  come. 

"Papa,"  she  said,  huskily,  "this  is  Mr.  Roger  Win- 
ship,  who  painted  my  portrait  I've  promised  to  marry 
him."  ' 

Trafford  stood  still,  as  if  turned  to  stone.  Mrs. 
Trafford  glanced  backward  from  her  seat  on  the  divan. 
George  and  Laura  wheeled  round  from  their  contem- 
plation  of  the  portrait.  It  was  the  sort  of  shock  that 
translates  itself  slowly  to  the  thought,  more  slowly  still 
mto  action. 

Winship   remained   motionless,   his  gleaming  eyt» 

"  153 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

fixed  mi  the  man  who  had  .truck  hii  father  down  Hit 
trained  o^ryadon  watched,  while  dull,  a.hen  huei 
«de  intoPaulTrafford',  face,  and  tlie  detennined  Up. 
•ettled  themwlve.,  .hade  by  .hade,  into  the  line,  of 
pain. 

TTie  .ilence  wa«  long.  It  wa.  only  by  degree,  that 
the  full  meaning  of  the  .ituation  made  itself  clear.  The 
eye.  of  the  family,  that  had  been  fiiced  in  amazed  con- 
templation on  Win.hip,now  turned  toward.  Trafford 
waiting  for  a  .ign.  ' 

"P*"'".  go  home,"  he  commanded  at  law.  "Take 
her,  he  added  to  hi.  wife.  There  wa.  a  quiver  in  hi. 
voice  a.  if  he  could  .ay  no  more. 

Paula  advanced  toward.  Win.hip  and  held  out  her 
hand.  He  took  it  and  held  it  long,  but  no  word  wa. 
.poken  between  them. 

"Gol"  Trafford  cried,  with  the  brief  threat  of  anmr. 
Md  Paula  turned.  * 

She  went  out  fir«,  with  bowed  head,  through  the  door 
by  which  they  had  all  come  in.  Her  mother  followed, 
prMsing  her  handkerchief  to  her  lip..  Trafford  nodded 
to  C^rge  and  Laura  to  precede  him.  George  went  out 
obediently,  veiy  pale.  On  the  threshold  of  the  room 
Laura  turned  and  looked  back  at  Win.hip.  It  was 
the  only  glance  of  recognition,  if  recognition  it  was, 
that  had  been  vouchsafed  him.  Trafford  himself  left 
last 

Win.hip  stood  still,  liwening  to  the  tramp,  tramp  of 
their  footstep,  through  the  long  deffle  of  room..    He 
linened  while  the  sound  grew  fainter,  and  tiU  at  hut  it 
'54 


«' 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

died  away.    Then  he  flung  himtelf  on  the  divan  and 
covered  hit  face  with  hii  handf . 

"Paul  Trafford  hai  got  it  in  the  heart,"  he  muttered 
to  himtelf.  ''My  God,  I've  done  it!— after  the  long 
years.    Even  if  I  loie  her  now— the  victory  it  mine." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

IITTLE  wa«  wid  between  Paula  and  her  mother 
J-  on  the  homeward  drive.    With  her  head  th^w„ 

"Oh   mother,  don't,"  Paula  pleaded,  from  time  to 
•"?'■..'""  M";  I«ford  only  .obbed  th'e  more 

It .  my  fault,    ,he  moaned.    "I  never  .hould  have 
^owed  you  to  think  of  that  absurd  portrait.    I  ^ 

J^IntTt  ''"  "T  '^'  ^''  '"PP'"  -hen/ou 

faulty  and  I  never  shall  forgive  myself."  ^ 

No.  mother  dear,  it's  not  your  fault.    The  paintine 

oeiore  that.    I  can  see  it  now." 
.'.'?°"1*  "/  »"*  «  tWng-    It's  shameful." 

I  lofed  hit  C        L    n '^  '"'"  •'■'  ^"«  »•»■»«'•"'• 
I  loved  h.m  before  the  Duke  introduced  him  to  me 

I  Lw  Wm.^^  '°  *^  ''''^'"'^~'-  ^'  ««« ~t 

"Oh,  the  poor  Dukel    I  wonder  you  have  the  heart 

slrrdT^"-    ^f.y^'''°»'y"«rriedhim.asyou 

Aould  have  don^  this  dreadful  scandal  wouldn't  have 

come  upon  us.    The  newspapen  are  sure  to  get  hold  o? 

156 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

it    They  alway»  do.    I  can't  begin  to  think  what  your 
father  will  lay,  after  the  way  he'i  tpoiled  you." 

Paula  sat  erect  and  »ilent.  Her  mother  had  touched 
the  one  point  that  wai  vital.  What  would  Paul  Traf- 
ford  (ay  and  do  ?  There  was  no  question  to  be  asked 
beyond  that.     Beside  that  nothing  counted. 

They  reached  home  at  almost  the  same  moment  ag- 
George  and  Laura.  The  father  was  following  alone. 
'It's  my  fault,"  Mrs.  Trafford  broke  out  anew,  as 
they  all  met  in  the  great  entrance-hall.  "  I  should  never 
have  allowed  her  to  think  of  it.  I  should  have  insisted 
on  her  marrying  the  Duke  of  Wiltshire.  Better  that 
she  should  have  taken  that  Comte  de  Presles,  though  I 
never  could  endure  him.  But  anybody— anybody— 
rather  than  such  disgrace  as  thisi  Not  I  shall  never 
forgive  myself.    Neverl    Never!" 

"If  it's  any  one's  fault.  Aunt  Julia,"  Trafford  spoke 
up,  trying  to  be  consoling,  "it's  mine.  I  shouldn't  have 
told  her  anything  about  the  Winships,  to  begin  with. 
I  should  have  known  the  kind  of  ardent,  crazy  way  in 
which  she'd  take  it." 

Laura  said  nothing,  but,  if  possible,  her  face  was 
clearer  and  more  business-like  than  ever.  From  the 
glance  of  her  gray  eye  to  the  brisk  movements  of  her 
person,  everything  bespoke  resolution  and  lestraint. 
Paula  remained  apart  and  behind  them,  just  within  the 
door,  like  a  child  in  disgrace. 
"Come  up  to  my  room  and  ulk  about  it,"  Mrs.  Traf- 
begged.    "I  must  have  something  to  say  to  your 


ford 

uncle  when  he  comes  in 


'57 


THE.  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


fJi'^  '*»»ay  and  moaning  u  .he  wtnt.  Mr..  T«f. 
fcrd  mounted  the  iplendid  Mainmv  G«nr«.  j 
L.u«  followed.  Excluded  f«rZ;p,2S<^i 
hind  them.  At  the  foot  of  the  nair.  the  d.u.^  iT 
=i1^t:^tot-d-hetS^^^ 

9:^:^-rpeS^^^^«^-i- 
.j^«.jn.,en«of.;:;intrthT.rr^^^^^^ 

Wfto  were  made  nch  by  hi.  cooperation.    To  Paul.  ;. 
^  new  and  frightening.    She  .Sep,  o«  of  Ae  .haL 

Oh,  papa,  don't  look  at  me  like  that." 
She  would  have  caught  him,  touched  him  at  the  leaw 
but  he  put  up  hi.  hand  to  keep  her  back     ShJo^T^j' 
■e.  but  he  tore  it  from  her.  and'pu.Ld  her  ^^y"^"^ 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

ptin  of  hit  outraged  adoration.    At  the  turning  of  the 
^imay  he  glanced  down  at  her  ai  ihe  lay.    Let  her  liel 
She  wa»  the  one  being  in  the  world  againtt  whow  blow 
he  had  no  power  of  defencv,  and  the  had  atruck  him. 
Me  paued  on  to  Ma  room,  and  rang  for  hii  lecreury. 
Two  nunutet  later  he  was  di«ating  letters  on  business. 
It  was  partly  the  instinct  for  work,  partly  the  impulse 
to  seek  refuge  m  the  commonplace  from  this  upheaval  in 
his  affections.    He  had  not  reached  the  point  of  con- 
sidenng  the  situation  in  in  practical  light,  practical  man 
though  he  was.    AU  he  could  think  of  now,  all  thei« 
was  room  for  m  hu  big  inteUigence,  was  the  fact  that  hi* 
Uttle  girl,  the  one  creature  on  earth  whom  he  loved 
with  an  idolatrous  tenderness,  had  taken  a  step  which 
as  she  must  have  known  beforehand,  would  create  • 
cruel  breach  between  them.    No  matter  how  it  turned 
out  now,  the  fact  that  she  had  done  it  would  be  there. 

_rl-  "^;i"  ""^  ""■"■  '^"  *'"^^8 '"  *'«  »«n>e  train 
of  him.  When  he  had  thrust  her  from  him  the  action 
had  taken  her  by  surprise.  Not  even  when  she  feU  did 
she  wwe  Its  full  significance.  It  was  only  when  she 
caught  his  merciless  glance,  as  he  passed  up  the  stair- 
way, that  she  understood  the  extent  of  the  indignity  he  ' 
had  put  upon  her. 

For  a  second  or  two  she  lay  quite  still.  She  pressed 
her  cheek  on  the  cold,  polished  wood,  drinking  in  her 
humihaoon  When  she  dragged  herself  up,  two  hectic 
spots  were  blazing  on  her  cheeks,  while  in  her  soft  eyes 
there  was  a  hght  that  made  tiiem  curiously  like  her 
father  s.  As  she  marched  up-stairs  her  head  was  high, 
'59 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

wid  her  nep  finn,  with  a  determinatioii  altogether  new 
to  her     It  came  over  her  then  that  the  could  never  be 
•pin  the  cUnging,  dependent  Paula  Tmfford  of  the  paat. 
Whatever  d.e  did  in  the  end,  d.e  knew  that,  outtide 
heraelf,  there  would  be  no  May  ,ure  enough  to  lean  on. 
She  mu«  be.  m  future,  her  own  guide,  her  own  judge. 
«he  arbitrator  of  her  own  de«iny.    She  felt  like  a  chiM 
putting  forth  into  the  night  alone.    Between  leaving 
her  fadier  i  door  and  reaching  Roger  Winship',  there 
T'  1  '•"^.'!?^"°^  "»«•  to  travel,  but  .he  mu«  face 

love  would  not  be  there.  She  wa.  mo  u«d  to  it  that  to 
be  without  It  wa.  like  being  without  .belter.  In«inc- 
*vely  .he  yearned  to  stretch  out  her  hand,  to  him  again, 
but  the  impulae  died  in  the  recoUection  that  he  had 
■•truck  her  down. 

It  wa.  late  in  the  afternoon  when  Trafford  ditnuMed 

Laura.  They  filed  mto  hi.  book-lined  office,  a.  children 
Wore  a  ma«er.  M„.  Trafford  .at  near  him,  by  the 
desk;  George  and  Laura  farther  off.  Through  aU  the 
bjuine..  of  die  afternoon,  Trafford'.  thoughtThad  been 
worfang  .ubcon«aou.ly  toward,  the  definite  ttep  to  be 

"T  n*^'  ^"  "'.■'»«  *»  »ff«r."  he  wid,  briefly, 
lell  me  everything."  ' 

wh^I".!,  ^v'^'"^  T'f^^  ""•*  8"Pmg.  recounted 
^hat  »he  knew  of  the  firat  meeting  of  Paula  and  Win- 
•h.p  at  Monte  Carlo,  and  of  the  piogtew  of  their  ac 
'<]uaintance. 

i6o 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"I  shall  never  forgive  myiM,  Paul,"  si.:    obbed,  ^a 
•he  brought  her  sutement  to  an  end. 

"You  never  ought  to,"  he  laid,  v  iK  d  •  ,-h  if,:rjs 
habitual  to  him  in  momenta  of  c\.  .V!  ,ei,t  '^'oi 
knew,  aa  no  one  else  did,  what  tho»-  p^opU  >  r,,  „,;,,  .„ 
me.  You  knew  how  I  had  to  fijW.;  thtr,,  ...i^'ho*. 
becauie  I  beat  them,  public  opinion  his  hou,.!...!  ii,c  as 
if  I  were  a  criminal.  They  take  me  for  a  heait  rfbr.  s.-, 
indifferent  to  attack  of  that  sort ;  but  you  !:.;nv  lictter. 
And  yet  you've  permitted  this!" 

"Paul,  I'm  veiy  ill,"  she  pleaded.    "Spare  mel" 

"  I  do  spare  you.  If  I  didn't  spate  you,  I  should  say 
much     ore." 

"Aunt  Julia  is  less  to  blame  than  I,"  George  broke 
out,  with  a  touch  of  indignation  in  his  voice.  "It  was 
I  who  told  Paula  all  about  the  Winships." 

"There  was  no  harm  in  her  knowing  that,"  Traf- 
ford  said,  quickly.  "There  was  nothing  I  want- 
ed to  hide.  You  didn't  thrust  her  into  their 
arms." 

"No;  but  I  let  her  go.  I  knew  she  felt  that  in  some 
way  we  had  wronged  them — " 

"Then,  by  God!  she'll  learn  to  the  contrary,"  Traf- 
ford  cried,  bringing  his  fist  down  on  the  desk. 

"I  knew  she  felt  that,"  George  went  on,  "but  I 
laughed  at  her.  I  didn't  take  her  seriously.  When 
she  talked  of  giving  them  a  million  dollars  in  restitution. 
I  joked  about  it,  and  told  her  the  easiest  way  for  her  to 
do  It  was  by  marrying  the  fellow." 

"Then  you  were  a  damn  fool." 
i6t 


THE  CaANTTS  STRENGTH 

.J!i'°T'r*^'«'"8«ed.  humbly.    "I'm  only 
.how<„g  that  I  wa.  mo«  to  blame  than  Au„t  I„K,  "  ^ 

...d  Jn  h  *  "*  *"'^i?8  *"  ^  8»'"«*'  G«o.ge/'  Laura 
•aid,  m  her  mo,,  mJdly  reawnable  tone.  '>  tmnl  t" 
.ppor«o„  out  degree,  of  blame,  where,  perhaw  dfeJe 
«  no  bUme  at  ,11.  Paula  i.  of  age  a^d'lndejeit 
She  her  own  m«tre,.  i„  eve^.  «n,e.  NeiL  vou 
k1  u  "'.T'Tt  °^"  '■"'  "«>  Aunt  Julia  y,^ 
ietbrougrhe^ut"^"^"''''" -■'■'•    ■^"'"  *' ^^ 

NaturaUy."  Laura  agreed.    "So  did  we     1  .ho-M 

that «  wa,  I  who  .ent  Paula  to  have  that  portrait  done.- 

it  ^,  tb,  first  time  ,he  had  ever  come  face  to  face  with 
an  Jh  ' ''""'  """  STOW,  rich  it  often  happen,  A« 

anther  mu«  grow  poor.     It  rather  pained  her     I 

worM  °  ;'r.fr?«'  ^'"^  J"«  »°  "-H  -ney  in  th 
world,  If  wealth  flows  very  much  into  one  pwrket   it 
ha,  w  ebb  a  good  deal  from  another."  ^        '  " 

W^t ,  that  got  to  do  with  it  ?"  Trafford  demanded. 

It  gave  her  a  more  reasonable  idea  of  busines.     It 
helped  her  to  ,ee  that  the  Winships  might  Zeiher 
property,  and  that  you  might  get  J  anfylt  Xtle 
162 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

fault  might  be  none  of  yours.    What  ihe  felt  was  pity— 
nothing  more,  and  nothing  less.    You  see.  Uncle  Traf- 
ford,"  she  continued,  edging  her  chair  a  little  nearer 
the  desk,  "Paula  is  more  a  child  than  a  woman.    It 
wouldn't  be  possible  for  any  one  to  live  here  on  earth 
and  keep  a  soul  more  spotless  from  the  things  that  the 
rest  of  us  have  to  know  and  underetand.    She  isn't  a 
man  of  business,  like  you  and  George.    She  isn't  even 
a  woman  of  business,  like  Aunt  Trafford  and  me.    She 
doesn't  reason  like  the  rest  of  us.    She  can't.    The  fact 
is,  her  nature  is  limited;  any  one  can  see  it  who's  ever 
lived  with  her.    There  are  just  three  things  of  which 
she  s  capable:  love  for  what's  good,  pity  for  what's 
suffenng,  and  pardon  for  what's  wrong." 
I  That's  so,"  George  corroborated,  strongly. 
"Yes,  it  is,"  Mrs.  Trafford  added,  with  a  heavy  sigh 
It  s  true,  every  word  of  it,  even  if  I  am  her  mother." 
Look  here,  Laura,"  Trafford  said,  coldly,  "if  your 
game  is  to  work  on  my  sympathies — " 

"  Oh,  but  it  isn't.  I'm  only  trying  to  point  out  to  you 
the  way  she  reasoned— the  way  that,  with  her  limitations, 
she  haJ  to  reason.  She  saw  that  the  Winships  were 
poor  and  that  we  were  rich.  She  knew  they  had  suf- 
fered.  She  had  a  confused  idea  as  to  how  it  had  come 
about  It  wasn't  possible  for  her  to  think  it  out,  as  we 
should.  She  saw  only  that  we  could  come  to  their 
rescue,  and  put  them  back  into  something  Uke  the  posi- 
tion they  had  held  before.  The  impulse  to  do  it  was  as 
natural  with  her  as  to  want  to  heal  them  if  they'd  been 
sick.  We  talked  it  over  together,  and  I—" 
•63 


THE  GIA^f^S  STRENGTH 

"Sent  her  to  many  him,"  Trafford  interrupted,  with 
a  gnm  laugh. 

"I  »dvi.ed  her  to  help  them."  Laura  went  on,  im- 
perturbably,     but  to  do  it  on  some  such  lines  as  you 

«      "PProve  oJ,  Uncle  Trafford." 

"God!"  Trafford  ejaculated,  with  an  impatient  flinjt- 
mg  out  of  the  hands.  '^ 

J'^l^'^'^^Z'^  ^°^  6«><J  you  were  to  those  old  Miss 
Marshalls  m  Turtonville,  Wisconsin—" 
"Stop!"  Trafford  thundered. 
"I  can't  stop,  Uncle  Trafford.    I've  got  to  justify 
myself.    I  ve  got  to  justify  Paula.    As  far  as  I  can,  I've 
got  to  justify  you.    So,  when  you  spoke  to  me  about 
the  Miss  Marshalls,  I  did  all  I  could  to  cany  out  your 
wish.     That  is  to  say,  I  kept  them  regularly  supplied 
with  work,  and  saw  that  they  were  able  to  ean.  a  com- 
foruble  mcome.     I  told  you  about  it,  and  you  were 
pleased.     When  it  came  to  the  similar  case  of  the 
Wmships,  what  more  natural  than  that  I  should  follow 
the  Ime  that  you  yourself  had  commended  ?" 

"The  situation  was  different.  You  should  have 
foreseen  the  catastrophe." 

"How  could  I,  Uncle  Trafford?  It  was  no  more 
possible  than  for  you  to  foresee  that  old  Mr.  Marshall 
would  shoot  himself." 

"How  can  you!"  Mra.  Trafford   protested,  while 

tieorge  tned  to  silence  his  wife  with  significant  looks. 

t«>  on,    Tmfford  said,  quietly.    He  was  not  the 

man  to  let  any  one  see  that  Laura's  shot  had  carried. 

I  suggested  the  portrait,"  Laura  continued,  in  the 

164 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Mme  calm  tones,  "not  only  a«  a  means  of  helping  the 
WiMhips  as  a  matter  of  generosity,  but  also  to  divert 
Paula  s  mind  from  any  larger  or  wilder  projects.    In 
that  I  didn't  succeed.    I  saw  all  winter  that  I  wasn't 
succeedmg,  but  I  hoped  her  ideas  would  die  out  with 
time.    They   haven't.    That's   perfectly   plain.    And 
since  that's  the  case,  I,  for  one,  dear  Uncle  Trafford, 
Mnnot  see  what  good  will  ever  come  of  fighting  her. 
You  can't  fight  Paula's  instinct,  not  any  more  than  you 
could  fight  the  Spirit  of  Spring.    Our  worldly  weapons 
have  no  force  against  it    You'll  excuse  me,  dear  Uncle 
Trafford,  won't  you— but  if  I  might  advise—" 
"You'd  give  in  ?"  he  asked,  hoansely. 
"I'd  humor  her.      If  we'd  done  that  at  first  this 
thmg  might  never  have  happened.    It  mayn't  be  too 
late  now." 

"When  you  say  humor  her,"  Trafford  demanded, 
slowly,  leaning  on  the  desk  and  fixing  Laura  with  his 
penetrating  stare,  "do  I  understand  you  to  suggest 
giving  a  large  sum  of  money  to  the  Winships,  in  what 
might  be  called  restitution  ?" 

"I  mean  the  large  sum  of  money;  I  shouldn't  care 
what  they  called  it.  It's  only  the  strong  who  can  dare 
w  eat  humble-pie,  and  I  suggest  that  we  should  do  it. 
The  money,  of  course,  is  nothing;  and  for  people  in  our 
position,  I  should  think  the  interpretation  given  to  the 
act  need  count  for  very  little." 
"Hmph!"  Trafford  snorted,  springing  to  his  feet; 
just  as  It  counts  for  very  little  to  a  general  whether  the 
world  looks  on  him  as  victorious  or  defeated  " 
165 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"There  are  different  kind,  of  victory.  Uncle  Trafford 
You  who  ve  gamed  «,  many  on  one  field  could  easily 
afford  to  win  them  on  another."  ' 

He  took  two  or  three  paces  up  and  down  the  room.  It 
was  evident  to  them  all  that  he  was  in  a  state  of  great 

MTrlff  .  .*'.  """"^  ^""  °f  *^'"  married  life. 
Mra.  Trafford  had  never  seen  him  so.  The  poor  ladv 
pressed  alternately  her  handkerchief  to  heroes  and 
her  vnaigrette  to  her  nostrils.  George  stared  at  Laura 
in  mingled  surprise  and  admiration  at  her  audacity' 
It  was  not  the  first  time  he  had  seen  advice  proffered 
o  Paul  Trafford.  but  he  had  never  seen  it  enduredw 

long,  or  earned  so  far. 
"You  don't  know  what  you're  saying."  Trafford 

flung  out  at  last.    "In  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world.  I 

should  seem  to  be  climbing  down.    It  couldn't  be  kept 

quiet.    The  press  would  ring  with  it." 
"I  shouldn't  care  for  that,"  Laura  responded,  in  her 

gentlest  way.    if  it  was  to  save  my  child." 
He  stopped  abruptly  before  her.  his  feet  planted 

"•""n'r  "1 ,  •""  '""'^*  *''"'"  **"?  '«»  Ws  pockets. 

Would  itf"  he  demanded,  fiercely. 
Laura  looked  up  at  him  with  frank  eyes. 

I  don't  know,"  she  replied.  "  It  would  depend  on 
how  far  Its  gone.  It  might.  I  should  even  think  it 
probable.     At  any  rate,  I  should  try." 

Turning  on  his  heel,  he  walked  to  the  mantel-piece, 
and  stood  with  his  back  towards  them.  When  he  re- 
mained silent,  they  made  signs  to  each  other,  and  slipped 
away.  '^■^ 

i66 


CHAPTER   XV 

A^  ?"I!  n,-^'!'!'  r"  *'  Wack-and-gieen  dres.  in 
V-l  which  Winship  had  painted  her.  The  detail  wa. 
lost  on  Trafford  and  George,  but  Mm.  Trafford  and 
Laura  exchanged  comprehending  glances.  Laura  man- 
aged  to  call  her  husband's  attention  to  the  fact,  but 
the  father  saw  only  that  the  dark  setting  brought  out 
Ae  rose  tints  of  the  girl's  complexion,  and  increased  the 
bluen^s  of  her  eyes.  She  had  even  hung  round  her 
neck  the  string  of  pearls  which,  in  the  portrait,  she  was 
drawing  from  the  smaU  gold  coffer  at  her  side. 

The  meal  passed  in  some  constraint  Trafford  ate 
with  his  eyes  on  his  plate,  or  crumbled  his  bread  with  a 
nervous  movement  of  the  fingers.  Mrs.  Trafford  was 
too  .U  to  eat  at  all.  She  had  only  appeared  at  table  in 
the  hope,  as  she  said,  of  "carrying  things  off"  The 
three  others  made  feeble  efforts  to  talk,  Paula  avoiding 
her  father  s  eyes.  When  her  mother  rose,  sne  escaped 
again  to  her  room. 

"Don't  wait  for  me,  if  you  want  to  join  the  ladies," 
Trafford  said  to  his  nephew,  when  they  had  smoked 
awhile  in  silence. 

George  understood  the  hint,  and  withdrew  to  the 
smaU  salon  the  family  were  in  the  habit  of  using  when 
167 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

thejr  .pent  the  evening  alone.    Hi.  aunt  and  Laura  were 
already  there,  .itting  a*  if  ir  expectation. 

Left  to  himMlf,  Trafford  aat  waring  vacantly  at  the 
flower,  and  crystal  on  the  table.  Hi.  cigar  went  out, 
a.  his  arm  fell  hmply  over  the  back  of  his  chair  He 
wa.  not  thinking  actively,  nor  tiying  to  make  plan.. 
Hi.  m^rd  .ight  was  fixed  on  a  little  black  heap,  fallen 
on  the  floor,  while  two  blue  eyes  were  lifted  appealinelv 
to  his.  They  haunted  him.  Their  expression  became 
confused  in  his  mind  with  the  unspeakable  look  of  a 
fallen  Oinst,  in  a  picture  of  Vandyck's  he  had  seen  in 
a  church  m  Antwerp.  His  lip.  twitched,  his  eyelid, 
quivered.  ^ 

"My  little  girl,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "I  muck 
her  down.    It's  come  to  that!" 

Again  he  stared,  as  if  without  sight  and  without 
thought.  It  was  late  in  the  evening  when  he  rose,  and 
passed  into  the  salon,  where  the  two  ladies  and  Georee 
were  sitting  in  silence.  He  went  straight  to  the  bell 
and  rang  it. 

"Ask  Miss  Paula  to  come  here,"  he  said  to  the  ser- 
vant who  appeared. 

He  took  a  seat  and  waited.  In  a  few  minutes  she 
came.  She  stood  on  the  threshold,  without  advancing 
into  the  room.  He  had  again  the  impression  that  her 
color  was  very  radiant  and  her  eyes  strangely  blue.  He 
had  another  impression,  impossible  to  define— the  feel- 
ing that  his  little  girl  was  no  longer  near  him,  but  gazing 
at  him  across  K>me  myweriou.  flood.  He  waited  for 
her  to  come  into  the  room,  but  as  she  did  not,  he  spoke. 
i68 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

^^  "Pwib,  my  child,"  he  began,  ai  gemly  at  he  could, 
since  this  afternoon  I've  reflected.    You  can't  be  un- 

aware  that  what  you  told  us  in  the  gallenr  has  been  a 

great  blow  to  me,  a  great  shock." 
"I  thought  it  might  be  a  shock,  papa,  at  first;  I  didn't 

know  It  would  ever  prove  a  blow." 

"It  has  done  so,  already.     I  can  say,  without  melo- 
dramatic exaggeration,  that  it's  one  which  neither  your 

mother  nor  I  can  ever  get  over." 
"Oh,  mamma,  darling,  I  didn't  think  that  possible." 
Her  voice  trembled,  but  she  took  no  step  to  advance 

into  the  room.    Mrs.  Trafford  pressed  her  handkerchief 

to  her  eyes,  and  said  nothing. 

«  "\  T""  '°  ^°  >'°"  J""'<=«>  <'"'■•"  Trafford  went  on, 

and  I  want  you  to  be  just  to  me.  We  must  be  sym- 
pathetic  with  each  other—" 

"More  than  that,"  she  interposed. 

"Yes,  more  than  that.  It  isn't  possible  for  you  and 
me  to  have  any  wish  more  sacred  than  to  insure  each 
other  s  happiness,  is  it  ?" 

"Not  for  me,  papa." 

"I  thought  so.  And  you  must  know  that  it's  equally 
impoMible  for  me.  I  don't  have  to  tell  you  that  you're 
all  I  have.  Other  fathers  love  their  daughters;  I  know 
that,  of  course.  But  I  don't  think  many  of  them  do  as 
Hove  mine.  Come  into  the  room,  dear.  Don't  stand 
away  from  me.     Come  and  kiss  me." 

Moving  forward  very  slowly,  she  bent  and  kissed  him. 
He  drew  her  to  him,  and  she  sank  on  the  floor  beside  his 
chair. 

169 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


^»Sg\t;ri'^":;r^»  -  She .« ..-^^ 

"I've  been  trvinTtr  "  "     """eed  behmd  hi,  chair. 

yo"  announced  to'  us  Z^^'  J^ '°  f «  ^'  ««P 
needn't  explain  for  I'»       ^  '"*  ^  ««  it.    I 

«y  that  ;""■  tho,,:  ri"ht'°"T.'°"°"  ■"'•    ^  "-'* 
should  hot],  find  diS  totcusr'tut"'""'""^  "' 

.Pealy'^erdlrte?  f^^T,*^//"  -' -•-^. 
»um  of  money.  It  ,hauT  «  ,  "''^  '°  ^"^  "  '"Ke 
demand  them's  b^n  .o.^!  "^  "  y""  '"^'-  ^  "»■ 
doll.".  I  shouldTX^T^T  ""{'  °^'  ™"'«« 
"Oh  papa.  ho^X^rj'"' "'"«•" 

poit  a,  rSeve°2'  "T  '""  "'•"■• '"  «>"'  P- 
called  n;«o„tion  o^rttitlir  '  "  '''"'•  ''  «"'«'''« 
chose.  By  the  pre°s  «d  7  '  u-  ""^'"^  «'»«  th^X 
would  be  ilued  S^l^tn'efVs^  l^^r'  ■* 
"P°n  as  a  penitent  thief."  ^'         ''°"'''  ^  '°°ked 

^on^uTrwt::^t7t:i'^*' ''--'"^-la.^^ 

I-'-goon.dear.    Let  n.e  show  you  how  much 
'7° 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

I 

I'm  willing  to  do  for  you— I  will  even  lay,  to  luffer  for 
you.    You've  known  lomething,  in  a  vague  way,  of  the 
fight  I've  ha4  to  make,  but  you've  only  wen  the  favor- 
able lide  of  it.    You've  known  me  at  victorious,  but 
you've  never  known  how  often  I've  been  wounded. 
Nobody  hat.    I've  kept  that  at  much  at  pottible  to 
mytelf     I'm  lookei  .ipon  as  a  man  too  hard  to  be  hurt 
by  the  cannonade  of  popular  hatred  and  abuse;  but  it 
itn't  to.    I've  borne  it  in  silence,  and  I've  lived  through 
it.    To  a  certain  extent  I've  lived  it  down.    The  men 
who  couldn't  beat  me  don't  hate  me  lets,  but  I've  got 
beyond  reach  of  their  powder.    That's  all.    Now,  in 
what  I'm  ready  to  do  at  your  requett,  I  should  be  putting 
myself  again  within  their  range.    I  should  be  doing  more 
than  that:  I  should  be  offering  myself  as  a  target.     I 
shouldn't  be  spared  their  shots— nor  you,  nor  any  of  us. 
I  told  you  once  that  I  wanted  my  little  girl  to  be  protect- 
ed  from  that;  but,  of  course,  we  should  have  to  let  such 
considerations  go." 
"But,  dear  papa,  why  thould  any  one  ever  know?" 
He  tmiled  faintly,  with  a  thrug  of  the  shoulden. 
^  "You  must  go  to  the  press  to  find  that  out,  dear. 
I'm  not  in  their  confidence  half  as  much  as  they're  in 
mine,  and  I  know  something  of  their  secrets,  too.    How 
did  the  New  York  papers  announce  the  probability 
of  your  marriage  to  the  Duke  of  Wiltshire,  with  day  and 
date  for  our  movements  and  his,  just  a  week  after  the 
first  mention  of  the  subject  privately  among  ourselves  f 
I  don't  know,  any  more  than  you.    But  this  I  do  know 
— «hat  within  ten  days  of  the  transference  of  property 
171 


""^x 


M 


™E  GIANTTS  smiENCIH 


th.penJ.enc.    I  VhTlIl?.**^  •"*•  "••''"'•«' fo' 
"•ind  hM  become  SbledTl.  •^'' ,"  *  "»"  ^l"*- 

I  fi*?^.^K'.h«  Is " """'' '"«  ^-  -  <^  "• 

Iwam'eotV'rv^nTd    "-••«>"'«' ^u?    But 
^  «■    For.  when V^  ~"t'!I^  "  '^"'  '»<»  I'««  "Aer 

Jarling?"  '        ""*"  «•«  for  me,  will  you 

;;Wat„crifice?",hef,h.^ 

"Oh  I?  *'i''1  *'•  """  "P" 
On.  but  I  love  him  r 

«"«he«iU„«.^'^;^^«~"'<«nothelpit.    ft  fc„ 

j-g  out  on  the  comirj^rTi'rr'r"'"' 

'""h-    A  long  mi„„e  p  J^'  befo-  T   i"*!''  ''>'  " 
again.  y*'*ea  ottott  Trafibrd  ipoke 

172 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"You  wouldn't  give  me  up  for  him  ?" 

"I  couldn't  give  you  up  at  all." 

"But  if  the  choice  lay  between  him  and  mef" 

She  fat  with  eyes  downcaat,  and  made  no  aniwer. 

What  then  ?"  Traffbrd  peniited,  loftly. 
Again  the  made  no  answer.    Laura  leaned  forward, 
and  whiipered  in  his  ear. 

"Dear  Uncle  Trafford,  do  you  think  it  wise  to  ask 
her  these  questions  now  ?" 
He  waved  her  back,  and  kept  on. 
"If  the  choice  lay  between  him  and  me,  Paula,  dear? 
What  then  ?  After  the  way  we've  loved  you,  after  all 
we've  done  for  you.  after  the  happy  years  together, 
would  you  go  away  with  this  stranger— my  enemy— 
and  leave  your  mother  and  me  alone  ?" 

"He  isn't  your  enemy,  papa,"  she  declared,  seizing 
the  one  pomt  on  TThich  she  was  able  to  reply. 

''I  must  judge  of  that.     But  would  you  go  with  him  ? 
That's  what  I'm  asking.    Your  mother  is  ill,  and  I'm 
growing  old.    You're  all  we  have— all  God  has  left  with 
us.    Would  you  desert  us  for  a  man  you  didn't  even 
know  a  year  ago  ?" 
She  taised  her  burning  face  to  him  again. 
"Oh,  papa,  how  can  I  answer  you  ?    How  can  you 
bear  to  torture  me  like  this  ?    Surely  you  know  what 
love  isl— not  such  love  as  yours  and  mine,  but  the  love 
of  man  and  woman.    If  you  don't  know  it,  the  others 
must.    Mamma,  I  appeal  to  you.    Laura,  I  appeal  to 
you.    You  know  what  a  woman's  heart  is  when  it's 
given  to  the  one  man  to  whom  it  can  ever  go  out.    You 
•73 


MICROCOPY   DESOIUTION   TEST   CHART 

(ANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


1.0    ^^  le 

^  lit  1^ 


APPLIED  IIVHGE     In 

1653  East   Moin   Street 

Rochester.   Nem   York         14609       USA 

(716)   482  -OTOO-  Phone 

(716)   288  -  5989  -  Fo* 


II II 


Ui    I 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

She  ended  with  a  little  ciy. 
res,  dear.    I'm  here." 

^P^n,  tl^t'her  td  '°"T^'  ^*  '  -•»•  ^-'^ 
ci-ped  in  ea:rotra™r'"  =■""  '''''«'''-  -" 
wear?;;  IS  -^T^'^jf-^-mented.  turning 
like  that."  ^"'^  "  "°  ''«='«"g  with  argument 

"IVe  got  her  to  b^d  "  .K   ^''.7'"!P=''""dtrembIing. 

"She'll  b^qu  e,  r  S     sL"'f '  ""'"  """"^  '''^««"°" 
poor  lamb."  ^''^  "■'''"terribly  u„„erved, 

anSeXrt!:„Ji,tr*^^-«'--''-^*er 

"Whyretumtothl^lJ^aiS  "''  ''"  '''"''-■ 

What  s  forgiveness  got  to  do  with  it  ?    Ii"™» 
won^  g,ve  me  my  daughter  back.'^  Forgiveness 

^^^^She  s  my  daughter,  too.  Paul.    You  seem  to  forget 

''^^nj;SeeIi?^;t^^K""^^- 
competent  care."  'eaving  her  m  your  m- 

174 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"Oh,  Paull  After  all  the  years  that  we've  been 
married  you  say  that  to  me!" 

"Good-night,"  he  returned,  still  over  his  shoulder. 

"I'm  very  ill,  Paul — "  she  began,  once  more. 

"You  won't  get  any  better  by  standing  in  this  cold 
room." 

"  You  don't  know  how  ill  I  am.  I've  never  told  you, 
Paul.     I  beseech  you — "  she  went  on,  brokenly. 

"I'm  tired,"  he  said,  leaning  heavily  on  the  mantel- 
piece.   "I  really  think  we'd  better  say  good-night." 

She  turned,  slowly,  and  left  him.  He  heard  her  go 
half-way  up  the  stairs,  and  come  down  to  his  door  again. 
She  stood  a  minute,  but,  as  he  made  no  sign,  she  turned 
heavily  away  once  more. 

He  listened  without  moving  till  her  door  closed  be- 
hind her.  Then  he  flung  himself  into  an  arm-chair  and 
smoked.  He  smoked  on  and  on,  while  the  clock  on  the 
mantel-piece  chimed  off  the  hours.  His  mind  worked 
back  to  the  past  and  forward  to  the  future.  He  lived 
through  again  the  old  days  of  strife,  and  drew  comfort 
from  the  thought  of  his  huge  successes  and  his  many 
victories.  By  degrees  his  pain  and  anger  died  down 
together.  The  longing  for  the  love  and  tenderness  of 
his  own  home  came  back  to  him. 

"After  all,  she's  been  a  good  wife  to  me,"  he  muttered 
to  himself,  reproachfully.  "I'm  a  brute  to  treat  her 
so — and  I'm  a  brute  to  my  little  girl." 

The  early  June  dawn  was  breaking  when  he  rose  to 
go  up-stairs.  The  house  was  very  quiet,  and  he  went 
on  tiptoe  past  his  wife's  door,  for  fear  of  waking  her. 
175 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
"Suppose  I  do  wake  her  "  I,-  .u      . 

over.     But  whe:f:"  Hp?  rchXr:  hf '-^  ^""^  ''^- 
would  never  wake  again  '  ^'  '"'^ '''«  '»•« 


'  II 


CHAPTER   XVI 


IT  was  natural  that  during  the  fortnight  following 
upon  Mrs.  Trafford's  death  Paula's  more  personal 
affairs  should  recede  to  the  background.  Trafford's 
grief  for  his  wife  was  deep  and  sincere — all  the  more 
so  from  the  circumstances  in  which  she  had  died.  The 
mere  mention  of  Winship's  name  would  have  been  an 
intrusion  upon  sorrow. 

But  as  the  days  went  by,  and  life  seemed  to  resume 
its  normal  routine,  it  became  impossible  to  ignore  the 
fact  that  such  a  subject  could  not  be  forgotten.  There 
was  an  uneasy  sense  of  it  in  the  minds  of  all.  The  very 
reticence  with  which  some  themes  were  avoided,  the 
very  skill  by  which  others  were  touched  upon  with  tact, 
heightened  the  perception  that  it  was  among  them,  like 
an  invisible  presence,  at  all  times  when  they  came  to- 
gether. If  Paula  and  her  father  were  alone  they  kept 
silence — a  guarded,  conscious  silence,  in  which  the  only 
spontaneous  element  was  the  dread  of  what  might 
follow  upon  speech.  Their  affection  for  each  other  was 
not  diminished;  it  was  only  changed  by  the  loss  of  the 
old,  clear  strain  of  confidence.  They  were  falling  into 
that  painful  mutual  attitude  in  which  each  looks  for  the 
other's  move.  Trafford's  lack  of  action  was  diplomatic; 
>77 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Pau,a  was  d..B  o„„  because  sht  did"„"oe  1:'2 

tered  Paula's  boudlone  m„  ''''^-     "«=  '"''>  '"- 

errand  connected^  hThe  d  v's'h"  ""'  ""'"P''"-' 

"And,  by-the-wav  "  h       T       °'""''<^  ''^^'"■ 
'eave  he;.  ^'wT  1  vt  ^^tr""^'  "  ''^  '""''^  - 
house?     I  have  fmnll       u        ^  >'°"  '°  ^^'o^e  up  this 
going  to  W:7  "'"*  ''—  'hat  wi,,  requife  our 

to?r;£rift;XTt1r°rr^.  b«itsee.ed 
•"ore  erect  against  he  ,£  f't''°^'^  ''^ure  became 
which  formed' the  bacIgZ^'^'""  ^"^  '°^^  -"^  C^'-^ 

mer."  "'^  'should  be  away  all  sum- 

;;Oh  yes;  longer,  in  all  probability." 

All  wmter,  too?"  ^ 

"Well,  I  meant  indefinitely." 
„ And  not  live  in  this  house  any  more?" 

ciosJ  ran."  :r  ^  Sh: '""''  r '"-  ^-^  - 

want  to  ccme  back  to  J  :t  /art"     '' '""  ^^ 
mother's  idea  more  ff„„  ;         "'^^  )'°"''  Poor 

Now  that  she'srC-:;^'"  '"^  ->'  «- 

from\^°;^„?hfp;%t?"''"= ""^■'^  °^  -"-^"g  - 
178 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Trafford  was  not  expecting  a  question  so  direct.  He 
turned  fully  round  and  confronted  her. 

"I  thought  it  might  have  that  effect,"  he  said,  quietly. 

"It  wouldn't,"  she  replied,  in  a  tone  like  his  own. 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  wouldn't  come  with  me  ?" 

"Oh  no,  papa.  Of  course  I  should  go  with  you.  But 
it  wouldn't  separate  me  from  him.  Nothing  would. 
Nothing  ever  will." 

"I  suppose  you  icnow  it's  painful  to  me  to  hear  you 
talk  like  that  ?" 

"  But  you  make  me  do  it,  papa.  You  force  me  to  say 
the  things  on  which  any  other  girl  is  able  to  keep  silent. 
I  only  do  it  to  make  you  understand." 

"Understand  what?" 

"That  I  love  him — that  I  shall  always  love  him — 
even  if  I  were  never  to  see  him  again — even  if  I  were  to 
marry  some  one  else.  I  should  belong  to  him.  I  be- 
long to  him  already.  I've  given  him  not  only  my  heart, 
but  my  word.  I've  given  it  and  repeated  it.  I  ought 
to  tell  you,  papa,  that  I've  seen  him  again,  since — that 
day." 

"Where?" 

"In  the  same  place — for  a  few  minutes  only." 
"Clandestinely?" 

"That  isn't  a  word  that  should  be  applied  to  me,  papa. 
It  was  an  accident.  I  didn't  stay,  even  though  he  had 
something  to  explain  to  me.  I  wouldn't  even  let  him 
write  to  me  without  your  knowledge.  And  yet  I  feel 
free  to  see  him,  if  I  choose." 

"Even  though  it  be  against  my  command  ?" 
'79 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


'^i>' 


what  right "' 

''-^Mw^'r::::^S-'7-he..he. 

astonishing.     1'^  „„,     beLTn/f   ''T^'"^  """S^  °' 
alienable  privilege."         ^  ^  ^°'  ""=  "^"^  °f  an  in- 

andl:r;rchtrsroT  '"'^'^^''-  --^  -'- 

'oved  you'and  car^d' ^'1  r-fd"'."  ""^'-^  -•'°'- 
concerned  in  the  act  as  yoI2  r  ^''°  "■=  ="  "-"ch 
dear,  to  bhnd  yourself  with  ,ht  "Z"  "P^"=<^  y°". 
.  "  Vo.i  put  4  in  v"  J  htd'r  °'^°P'"«'y-" 
Pve  me  the  choice  betwee^  n^o  . ''°'""°"' /=■?=••  Vou 
•"m.  and  displease  yTJorl  ""•     ^  """^  '""'7 

"I'm  sure  h^d^^^,^,. 

And  I  know  he  does.  I  take  it  f., 
man  .neither  a  coward  nor  a  f!j  V'm'^m  """*  ""^ 
»>aps,  that  I  have  some  aco,.,:  T  °"  "  *"°^'  P"- 
"«•  I  know  his  typTandTtr'"."  7''^  '"""='"  "^*- 
have  inherited  any  other  fee  -^7 '"^'"•^^''-  "e  can't 
avenge.  Mind  you  I  dol'"t^  \^'  ""=  '^'"  °"«  °f 
y  u.      don  t  say  that  I  blame  him 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

much,  not  any  more  than  I  should  blame  the  serpent 
who  bites  with  poison." 

"Oh,  please,  don't  say  things  like  that." 

"I'm  warning  you,  Paula,  dear.  I'm  no  novice  at 
this  life.  I'vr  foreseen  so  much  that  has  come  true 
that  I  can  trust  my  own  guess  against  another  man's 
experience.  You  don't  know  what  you're  doing,  but 
I  can  show  you.  You're  only  a  little  girl,  innocent 
and  good,  and  yet  you're  rousing  the  passions  that  sleep 
but  never  die— jr  t  as  a  princess  may  press  a  button 
and  start  up  a  system  of  machinery  of  which  she  has 
neither  knowledge  nor  control.  I  warn  you.  Have 
anything  more  to  do  with  this  man,  and  the  struggle 
ceases  to  be  between  you  and  me;  it  passes  to  me  and 
him;  and  it  will  last  till  one  or  other  of  us  is  alone  on  the 
field  with  the  victory." 

"  But  is  there  no  such  thing  as  forgiveness,  papa  f " 

"No— not  among  men— not  in  business.  There,  it 
isn't  even  the  eye  for  the  eye  and  the  tooth  for  the  tooth; 
it's  the  trick  in  the  dark,  or  the  stab  in  the  back,  or 
any  other  means  that  commends  itself.  Forgiveness 
has  no  more  place  in  that  world  than  nectar  and  am- 
brosia have  in  this.  You  can't  fight  with  balms  on  the 
field  of  battle,  and  your  lover  and  I  shouldn't  choose 
the  weapons  that  hurt  least — " 

"Ah,  but  why  fight  at  all  ?" 

"Do  you  think  that  if  I  stayed  my  hand  he  would 

stay  his  f    Not  a  bit.     I  might  have  my  arms  bound  to 

my  side,  and  he'd  have  at  me  none  the  less.     If  you 

married  him,  that  would  be  my  position.    You  may  be 

i8i 


Ih 


<,3I 


THE  GIANPS  STRENGTH 


of  my  experience  of  the  Wfnship  reLnH.  ""  '"'^',''"'"2 
you,  on  the  very  nl-hf  v        T  ^^'''"  '""ness.     I  told 

-ny  wounds  llri^ro^ttLT'"  "'?."'  ""^ 
'0  wage.     None  were  so  d«H     '''"'J^S  war  I've  had 

fromjust  that  quam  and  le\"  ^"^  ^'"'^h  ^=""«= 
If  they  don't  fire  ^h  '^st- ,  h  " ^"V'^^"  "='^'"'- 
There  are  others  who  m't'  /"  °'^"'  ^h°  do. 

'obegforpubrsylpXtr  "'''''  ''''"''">  '''^'"- 
VouVe  only  to  iXhr  t "ieT """'  '"''  ""=>' ««  -'• 
zines  to  see  it.     I  coi.M    ff    j      "«wspapers  and  maga- 

■•'  were  not  f^r  onTlw:t:  "teV^^^f"' "'^ 
wronger  than  its  weakest  link   "'l-  ■^""  ""  '  •>« 

■n -tything  that  touche]  yo^  "  '  "  ""'^'  ''"  ^'^-^^' 

Wmsow;l^A^h"^'■™•  °°  Relieve  .e.  IW 
■Tit  had  nter  h  e  '^^';:  •  ^^.^r. °"'  '""^  '■™  « 
actual  share  in  the  tro  b  1.  A"ha°dn1  '''  '^'  ^""^ 
than  I.    Andhe".  c„        /  "^''" '—not  any  more 

wiiiing  tote  ht  "oi:  Xr'^'  ^^r-'"  °"'^  ^» 
you,  then  you'd  be  as  fur.  f  K  T'  '°  '«  ''™  ''"ow 
care  anything  for  monev  or  f  .''  ^  .^'"-  "^  "^o^^"'' 
I  thought  thft  stranS^Tt  firsf  :'r;f  ="'°'"  "-y. 
'he  ^ngs  he  lives  fo'r  Lre  h.J'er  thl^^?"  "  ^"  ""^ 

.4tsidtX^::rf  deaf-Tf*^  ''  '°- /^'^  "" 

'^-°-°^-^°-'Wty^Kd.^fr.r/ 

182  * 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

fixing  her  with  one  of  his  strong  looks,     I've  never 
yielded." 

Turning  slowly  away,  she  walked  to  a  window  and 
gazed  down  for  a  minute  on  the  trees  and  traffic  of  the 
Avenue  du  Bois.  When  she  confronted  him  again  her 
own  look  was  as  strony  as  his. 

I' I'd  yield,  papa,  if  I  thought  it  was  right." 

"And  don't  youf" 

"You  make  it  so  hard  for  me  to  see." 

"Surely  I  put  it  plainly  enough." 

"It  isn't  that  I  don't  see  what  you  mean;  it's  that 
you  give  me  such  a  terrible  alternative.  I  must  sacri- 
fice either  him  or  you — " 

"Or  yourself." 

"I  don't  count  myself.  If  I  could  only  satisfy  both 
your  claims  and  his  I  should  be  wiUing  to  suffer  any- 
thing." ' 

Trafford  winced  at  the  words,  but  maintained  his 
ground. 

"He  has  no  claims." 

"Oh  yes,  he  has,  papa.     He  loves  me." 

"Wiltshire  loved  you,  to<r.  That  didn't  give  him  a 
right." 

"But  I  didn't  love  the  Duke,  and  I  do  love  Roger 
Winship.  I  know  it's  wrong  on  my  art,  but  I  could 
see  the  one  suffer  with  only  a  passing  pang,  while,  if  I 
withdraw  my  word  from  the  other,  it  will  be  like  plung- 
ing a  sword  not  only  into  his  heart  but  into  my  own." 

"Then  it's  possible  that  you  should  withdraw  your 
word?" 

»83 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


1  hat  s  a  brave  giri  " 
you  could  lake  iUn  7'n«,d  '  '°"'"S'^'  "■"« 


con- 
ong, 


se." 

'but 
ou? 


8° 
I— 


CHAPTER   XVII 

"  S"l^  ^'"™8  me,"  Trafford  said,  when  he  recounted 

»w>  the  interview  to  Mrs,  George,  later  in  the  day. 

Since  his  wife's  death  he  had  come  to  depend  a  goe  1 
deal  on  Laura.     Her  little  sitting-room  offered  hin 
refuge  in  times  of  loneliness,  while  the  common-senst  of 
her  conversation  was  a  relief  from  the  strain  that  life  had 
lately  taken  on. 

"I  can  understand  that,"  Laura  returned,  looking  up 
from  her  stitching.  "All  her  instincts  are  so  right  that 
one  feels  placed  in  the  wrong,  whether  one  is  wrong  or 
not.  But  there  are  two  things  of  which  I  am  more  and 
more  convinced  as  I  grow  older.  The  one  is,  that  noth- 
ing IS  more  precious  in  life  than  the  love  and  peace  of 
famihes.  And  the  other  is  this,  that  to  preserve  them 
It  must  happen  from  tine  to  time  that  some  one  has  to 
yield,  and,  perhaps,  to  suffer." 

"Exactly,"  Trafford  agreed,  warmly.  "I  can't  save 
her  from  suffeiing,  can  If  God  knows  I  would,  if  I 
could." 

"I'm  sure  of  that,  dear  Uncle  Trafford.  One  can't 
have  a  child  of  one's  own  without  knowing  that  in 
everything  it  has  to  bear  one  suffers  twice  one's  self." 

"  Twice  f  I  suffer  twenty  times.  Since  this  thine  has 
M  185 


III 

if 

J 


m 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


happened  to  my  little  girl  there's  nothine  she  feel,  th.t 
u-n-t  multiplied  in  me.  over  and  over  a|a„  it^t 
fl^onm  double  mirrors.  I  give  you  my  wori  L„^ 
that  I  rack  my  brams  to  explain  why  the  one  event  in  " 
the  world  that  could  have  hurt  me  most  should  hav" 
come  upon  me.  It  almost  carries  me  back  to  the  S 
ffai«  f„7j°  """"r  "™-'f  ^i'h  'he  details  of^ur 

«X   and^d''      "  """^  ~-->--es  of  our  acj 
upon  lu.  and  I  d  given  up  that  idea  lont  ago." 

I  often  thmk."  Laura  observed,  in  he'r  .^sing  tone. 

No.  of  course  not."  Laura  said,  quicklv  "It', 
only  the  very  strong  who  can  do  that.  I^on't  uppole 
any  woman  is  capable  of  vicarious  suffering?  and 'the" 
must  be  very  few  men."  *" 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?"  Trafford  questioned 
m  the  slightest  tone  of  pique"  ««oneo, 

here  and  JLZ       ""^^"^'  "  ''  """  ">"'  ■""«  be 
siSirina  Jr     ^"  ?°!'S  '"°"eh  to  take  the  cause  of 
"Hmohr  T^'"^  ''^  ''^""8  all  the  pain  himself." 
HmphI    Trafford  ejaculated. 

menkTh  ""*  iT''  '"  ""=  '"^gestion  that  there  were 
men  in  the  world  stronger  than  himself 

Of  course,  I  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  Laura 
i86 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"uTJ"'^'    "°"'  ""'>'  ''"'»  '»  *«  '"y  "bout  one's 
child. 

"You  can  protect  your  child,"  Trafford  argued,  "as 
long  as  It  will  follow  you.     Then  you  keep  it  to  the  line 
of  your  own  defences.    The  minute  it  goes  outside,  into 
a  course  of  its  own,  you  have  no  more  power." 
_  "Do  you  know,  dear  Uncle  Trafford,"  Laura  said. 
X  m  beginmng  to  think  that  just  as,  at  first,  our  chil- 
dren  s  happiness  depends  on  following  us.  so.  later,  our 
happiness  depends  on  following  them  ?" 
^'What  do  you  mean  by  following  them?" 
"I  mean  recognizing  the  fact  that  they  become  in- 
dependent  entities,  with  independent  rights.     I  mean 
acknowledging  their  rights  with  frankness  and  sym- 
pathy,  and  keeping  as  close  to  them  as  possible,  what- 
ever they  may  do." 
''And  suppose  they  do  what  you  don't  approve  of?" 
I  admit  that's  the  hard  part.     I  have  to  take  for 
granted  that  the  parent  is  the  wiser  and  the  stronger 
and  the  more  able  to  endure." 

"That's  all  very  fine!  But,  now,  to  take  an  extreme 
illustration:  suppose  your  little  Paul  were  to  grow  up 
and  go  to  the  bad  ?    Then  where  would  your  theories 

"He  couldn't  go  so  far  to  the  bad  that  I  shouldn't  be 
as  near  to  him  as  I  could,  offering  him  at  least  the  help 
that  came  from  my  love." 

"  Suppose  he  did  worse  ?  Suppose  he  were  to  marry 
-well,  say  a  chorus-girl,  or  something  of  that  sortf 
What  then.'" 

187 


J 


m- 


''ill- 

I!    : 


t:j 

llliii 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


would  ^main^myso" '^  "  ""^  *'"«'"«'  «  ''* 

1V°".'.'.  *"'''"'  y""  «»"W  do  it." 
Veor  hkely  I  couldn't,  but  I  should  trv     You  «,  T 
leel   so  stron^lv  nn   »i,.  "•  i"/.     lousee,  I 

pendence.'-       •  ""'  ''"''*'°"  "^  P«"°nal  indV 

of  which  you  speak."  '^  families. 

"Oh.  don't  you  think  so  ?    T»  -„ 
otherway.     I'veoften^orH        ""  *°  ""^  J""*  *« 

whoLto,x/h"S™kr;r;;i''r'^f 

line  between  whaf  ,k-..        , .     , "  "nere  to  draw  the 

couldn't  c"Lt:Srr  'aTJ^"^''  *^ 
tocracy,  is  it.  uncle,  dear?  I^s  ^tlL?  V^  '  '"  ""■ 
states,  in  which  each  mtS  V       ■      '  '*'*«"rion  of 

are  freely  reco^iizld  "         ^  '""^'  ""'**»  *^°«  right. 

^-^^5'aS:£---^n'^ 

seems  to  me  as  if  vr>..  ».         •••       f*""*-       -It  almost 

Oh,  Uncle  TraffordI" 
"Well,  it  does." 

-4'^tnrgf35';;rb^^^^^^^^^ 

see  the  shrewdness    ^  ^   '        "**  '''""'• "°  °"'  ~"W 
"You  mustn't  attach  any  importance  to  what  I  say." 
loo 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


ihe  avowed,  humbly.  "You  see,  I'm  only  a  woman. 
I  couldn't  judge  like  you,  even  if  I  had  the  penetration. 
I  suppose  every  woman  gives  love  and  happiness  a 
higher  place  in  her  scheme  of  things  than  she  ever 
ought  to.  It  takes  a  man  to  see  that  there  are  more 
important  elements  in  life." 

"Such  as— what?" 

"Well — let  me  see! — such  as  ambition — and  success 
— and  wealth — and  pride — and — " 

"If  ^u  put  those  things  before  love  and  happiness, 
my  girl,  you're  very  much  mistaken." 

"I  shouldn't,  because  I'm  a  woman.  But  I  thought 
men  did." 

"The  young  and  the  bumptious  and  the  feeble  some- 
times do — not  men  who've  done  my  work  or  lived  to 
my  age." 

"Still,  we  women  have  a  simpler  idea  of  happiness 
than  you.  It's  less  complex,  and  goes  more  directly  to 
its  point.  I  don't  suppose,"  she  added,  w-th  a  depre- 
ciatory smile,  "that  there's  anything  more  serious  to  it 
than  just  the  old,  instinctive  wish  that  those  who  love 
each  other  should — get  married." 

"HmphI" 

"Oh,  I'm  not  arguing,  dear  Uncle  Trafford.  I'm 
only  excusing  myself.  You  see,  we're  not  without  cer- 
tain successful  examples  right  in  our  own  household,  are 
we?  Dear  Aunt  Trafford  has  told  me  so  often  how 
opposed  her  family  were  when  she  married  you." 

"Pooh I    They  didn't  keep  that  up  very  long.    They 
know  now  where  they  would  have  been  if — " 
189 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


femS:  '•  '.J""  *"  ^»»=»'  give,  me  thi,  foolirf,. 
femmme  convicdon  that  the  hea«  i,  -S.  surest  of  S 
gUKle,.  A„dthe„Ihavemyow„„,artari1 
know  ve^  well  that  you  were  all  a  little-perhaps  onlv 
a  httle  but  .till  a  little^isappointed  when  gL^ 
marned  me.  Now  that  it's  all  over,  and  youVe^^ 
^  good  to  me  I  don't  mind  confessing  Lt  I  S 
through  several  months  of  great  unhappLs,  for  fear 
you  d  take  him  from  me.  If  you  had.  the«'s  no  «e  de- 
nj^ng  that  there  would  have  been  on;  more  emb^ertd 

^h^;j:ir '•'""'' °~'«^-°"'''-'' ''-'•- 

"Nor  any  of  us,  my  girl-I  can  tell  you  that.  If  we 
were  a  httle  staggered  before  we  k„L  you.  we  I 
covered  ourselves  easily  enough  when  we  did." 

« h!  ""' '"f  T''*" *■'"" ^'•"'"e *«  »he  might  be 
as  hapry  as  Aunt  Trafford  was  with  the  man  shefoved! 
and  as  I  ve  been  with  George  " 
^^The   cases   a™   different."  Trafford  jerked   out. 

"Oh  yes  I  know  that.    It  seems  a  pity,  too;  because 
they  say  he  s  such  a  fine  fellow,  and  sure  t"^  maie  a  la 
name  for  himself."  ^^ 

"How  do  we  know  that }" 

^tY^"'/.'"'''"^'  r  ^°"'''  •'''"P*  fr""  such  people 
as  Lady  Al.ce  and  the  Duke,  who've  been  his  friends 
nearly  a,  h.s  life.  As  for  his  abiliq,_the  newspap"! 
have  w.tn.^d  to  it  abundantly.  Then,  too."  sh" 
190 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

mused  on,  "it  would  create  a  great  revolution  of  feeling 
at  home,  though  you  wouldn't  care  anything  about  that. 
Just  as  you've  been  indifferent  to  slander,  you'd  be 
equally  so  to  applause." 
"Applause— how?" 

"Don't  you  see  that  it  would  be  looked  upon  as  so 
splendid  and  superior  and  American,  that  your  daughter, 
who's  had  dukes  and  princes  at  her  feet,  should  choose 
to  marry  a  poor  man — ^not  only  one  of  our  own  country- 
men, but  the  son  of  one  of  your  defeated  enemies  ? 
Of  course,  it  would  mean  nothing  to  you,  but  we  weak 
women  of  the  family  couldn't  but  rejoice  that  the  world 
should  see  you  in  your  true  light— in  your  simplicity 
and  generosity,  and  in  your  great  sense  of  the  true 
responsibility  of  wealth.  Your  traducers  would  be 
obliged  to  top  their  attacks,  for  there'd  be  no  more 
powder  in  their  magazine.  I  don't  know  anything  about 
it.  Uncle  Trafford.  That's  only  the  way  I  feel." 
"Ah,  well!"  he  sighed.  "Ah,  well!" 
He  rose  and  took  two  or  three  strides  up  and  down 
the  room. 

"Ah,  .relll"  he  sighed  again.  "I  don't  mind  ad- 
mitting to  you,  Laura,  that  I'm  miserable  about  the 
whole  business.  When  I  think  of  that  dear  child  crying 
her  brave  eyes  out,  perhaps  at  this  very  minute—" 

"Yes,  I  know,"  Laura  interrupted.  "Then  you'd 
make  any  sacrifice  to  save  her." 

She  felt  she  had  said  enough,  for  she,  too,  rose  and 
folded  her  work. 
"Won't  you  come  and  see  Paul  have  his  supper?" 
191 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

•he  suggested     She  knew  he  liked  to  Ke  the  hoy  kick 
and^crow  u„d  .plutter,  and  beat  with  hi.  .poon  on  the 

"No,  I  don't  believe  I  will,"  he  replied,  wearily.  "I 
seem  to  have  had  enough  of  children.  I  begin  to  wish 
the  Lord  had  never  made  them." 

"If  He  hadn't,  you'd  be  the  first  to  pray  Him  to  be- 
gin, she  smiled,  as  she  turned  at  the  door  to  leave 
mm.  You  know  better  than  I  do,  that  for  Paula's  sake 
you  d  throw  eveiything  you've  ever  won  to  the  winds  " 
I  suppose  that's  true,"  he  i  Mttered  to  himself,  as 
he  went  along  the  corridor  to  his  office.    "I  suppose 

?/d  ;r.    ^''  '''"  °'  °'°^6e's  is  a  damnedX! 
headed  little  woman,  and  she  doesn't  know  it." 

Only  a  skilful  psychologist  could  have  followed  the 
evolution  of  Paul  Trafford's  thought  during  the  nZ 
tonyyht  hours  Only  a  sympathetic  insight  coull 
have  disentangled  the  strands  of  love  and  self-love,  of 
egoism  and  devotion,  of  passionate  affection  for  his 
child  and  of  impulse  to  make  one  more  appeal  to  the 
great,  easily  hoodwinked  public  to  indorse  him  as  a 
high-minded,  honorable  man. 

J'^' u  '"  °"'y '^°'"P^°"i»«.  "fter  all,"  was  one  text  on 
which  he  mused.  "She'd  go  wild  with  joy;  she'd  love 
me  more  than  ever,"  was  another.  "Laura  was  right: 
they  would  see  me  as  I  am-simple,  generous,  patri«ic. 
canng  nothing  for  honors  or  a  big  name,  but  only  for 
terl.ng  worth.  They'd  come  to  understand  me  at 
i-^t.  That  was  a  fruitful  theme  of  mediution.  "  Brave 
192 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


little  brick!  She  doesn't  care  what  happens  to  herself, 
so  long  as  I'm  pleased,  and  saved  from  being  wounded 
again.  God!  I'd  let  myself  be  stabbed  all  over  my 
body  rather  than  that  she  should  shed  another  tear." 
That  was  a  subject  on  which  he  could  dwell  only  with 
eyes  blinking.  "After  all,  I  may  be  wrong  to  distrust 
the  man.  He  may  be  less  of  a  Winship  than  the  rest 
of  the  lot.  The  old  lust  for  vengeance  may  have  died 
down,  by  this  time,  and  the  reign  of  common-sense  be- 
gun. Other  people  seem  to  speak  well  of  him.  Wilt- 
shire and  Lady  Alice  ought  to  know.  Who  can  tell  i 
I  shouldn't  be  the  first  father  who  has  had  to  make  the 
best  of  his  daughter's  choice,  and  I  might  even  come  to 
like  him.  I'm  not  a  n^onster,  in  spite  of  all  they  say  of 
me."  From  these  reflections  he  took  what  comfort  he 
could. 

It  was  the  third  day  before  he  felt  convinced  that,  of 
all  the  chances  against  him,  he  was  accepting  the  least 
dangerous.  It  was  the  fourth  before  he  felt  sure 
enough  to  speak.  He  waited  till  evening,  till  the  mo- 
ment when  Paula  came  to  kiss  him  and  say  good-night. 
He  drew  her  to  him,  and  laughed  with  an  air  that  was 
almost  boyish  in  its  embarrassment. 

" I've  given  in,"  he  stammered.  "My  little  girl  is  to 
do  as  she  likes." 

She  slipped  from  his  embrace  and  fell  back  a  pace 
or  two. 

"I — I  don't  understand,  papa." 

"Don't  you?    Then   I'll  make  it  clearer.     I'm   a 
weak  and  beaten  and  foolish  old  man.    You'll  see  it," 
«93 


"^"^  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
the  long  itrain  wm  over.        """"'*'  bought  that 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

\AriNSHIP  had  finished  his  coffee,  in  the  lone 
T  T  red  studio,  before  Marah  brought  hers  and  sac 
down  beside  him.  Though  money  had  been  coming 
m  as  It  had  never  come  before,  they  had  made  no 
change  m  the  simple  habits  of  the  days  of  poverty. 
Going  to  and  fro  in  the  room,  Marah  observed  that 
her  brother  had  received  a  letter  which  he  read  and 
reread  with  unusual  absorption. 

"Is  it  another  commission  ?"  she  asked,  as  the  took 
her  place. 

"No,"  he  answered,  absently,  stiU  pondering  the  page 
before  him. 

When  some  minutes  had  gone  by,  she  spoke  again. 
.1     ""'*  ""y*'''"g  ♦'i"  worries  you,  I  hope  i" 
"Read,"  he  said,  briefly,  pushing  the  paper  towards 
her.    She  took  it  and  read: 

"Dear  Mr.  Winshu.,— A  great  bereavement  has  re- 
cently  come  mto  both  our  families.  Perhaps  nothine 
so  much  as  sorrow  teaches  us  the  true  value  of  the 
thmgs  of  this  hfe.  Since  God  has  taken  my  dear  wife 
Jrom  me  I,  at  least,  have  come  to  see  many  thines 
from  a  different  point  of  view.  I  am  sure  you  vriU  un- 
derstand what  I  mean  when  I  say  that  it  would  give 
'95 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

miM  wiiuhip  and  vou,  and  to  talk  ov»r  m<.».~    r  • 
I  aik.  then,  .f  to-morrow  afternoon  at  three  would  ,M^^ 

Yours  veiy  truly, 
.  '  Paui  Trafford. 

.u    '^•'*-~*  ''«g  to  »dd  that  we  lay  particular  str».  o„ 

the  ,r7u.  "    *"  °'  "  """''  '"'""'  •"  h"  "  to 

The  brother  and  .i.ter  looked  at  each  other  blankly. 
Ia.t  "   """"'"  ^"'^    demanded    a. 

"It  means  first  of  all  that  I  have  asked  Paula  Traf- 
ford  to  marry  me."  "«  irai- 

"And  then  1" 
"That  she's  consented." 
"And  then  ?" 

"That  they've  all  consented." 
"And  then  ?" 

laulh"''"  J'"'"  '"'  ^""!:  'P""«*"e  "P'  "''^  »  ''»"'' 
w,"  I  tZ"  ■"""'  "■="  ""  ^"y  l^"  ~'"«  «°  which 
we  ve  looked  forward  so  long-when  we  can  say  to  each 

&'r  '51"''  "■''  '°  ^"'•'''  'Up!  for  the  Lord 
hath  delivered  him  mto  your  hands.'" 

him?"*'""''  ""^'""""^  y°''-    How  has  He  deh.ered 

196 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Come  and  lee." 

"Very  well.     I'll  go." 

No  more  wa.  said:  the  lubjea  was  difficult  to  .peak 
or;  but  at  three  o'clock  they  pre.ented  themielves  at  the 
door  of  the  great  house. 

Trafford  himself  met  them  at  the  foot  of  the  grand 
.ta.rway  Now  that  this  step  was  definitely  decided  on. 
he  felt  the  satisfaction  by  which  he  was  always  thrilled 
■n  playing  the  benefactor  or  god  from  the  machine. 
With  a  large  share  of  the  sentiment  characteristic  of 
the  American  man  of  business  in  hfs  softer  moods,  he 
had  a  distinct  enjoyment  of  generosity-especially  his 

Tu'  ."T  ^"""'^  ^''^  ^'^'^'^  cordiality,  and 
held  out  his  hand.  Winship  took  it  with  a  certain 
gravity.  A.„ah  stood  in  the  background,  her  eye. 
sparkling  like  two  electric  lamps. 

"You're  very  good  to  have  come,"  Trafford  said, 
m  hi.  kind  tone.  "I'm  sure  we  shall  all  be  glad  to 
know  one  another  better.  And  you,  too.  Miss  Win- 
He  advanced  towards  Marah,  and  again  held  out 
l>.s  hand.  She  allowed  hers  to  rest  limply  within  his 
rrasp,  but  left  to  her  brother  the  task  of  finding  a 

n    T*"' »»?■'•'?'  °^y°"'  ''""  ">="*«  °"'  ^ming  im- 
perative,   Winship  murmured,  politely. 

It  was  all  that  could  be  said  before  the  two  tall 
footmen,  and  Trafford  turned   to  lead  the  way  up- 
stairs.     As   they   followed,   both    brother   and   sist« 
were   impressed    by  the    magnificence   of  their   sur- 
'97 


THE  CaANTS  STRENGTH 

(a^^MU.  •  *!""?«'"««"'  •  bit  of  the  chateau  of 
Jl~If  d    Zfu^'^'  °^  '"  «"«"•"■    Marah  felt 

i^^.S::r  °"  ^'""""••' "-« '» "^•^"  •-'- 

.n^r"'"'  n  *°».^"°^  ""y  "'P'""'  »"<>  niece,  Geor» 
and  Laura."  Trafford  .aid.  when  they  had  rea^he^.g^ 
op  of  the  ,,,a.„.  "I  .hint  we  .hall  have  our  little  t^k! 
at  fim.  without  the  presence  of  my  daughter." 

hand,  u.hered  the  visitor,  into  the  great  .alon  whoJ 
door  wa.,tanding  open.  '  "Jon,  whow 

It  wa,  an  awkward  moment,  especially  for  Marah 
who  entered  fir«.  Her  linle  figure  .eemed  to  dSle' 
^nothjng.  m  the  va.t  apartment,  where  every  object 
wa.  a  thmg  of  art.  The  Loui,  Seize  drawing!Lm  « 
Edenbndge  wa.  the  abode  of  gentry;  but  thii  ^.  th' 
dwelhng-pace  of  king..  OncT  inTide  the  do^r,  he 
stood  tmudly.  wa.tmg  for  the  other,  to  pas.  in  and  take 
Ae  lead,  when  she  became  aware  of  a  small  lady.  Tnl 

r^^\     '"•".'dvancing.with  out-stretched  hand, 
to  meet  ner. 

"n  ^r^^'"  '"^''*  Winship."  Laura  said,  cheerily 
Our  fnend.  Lady  Alice  Holroyd,  has  spoken  of  you 
.o  often.  And  Mr.  Winship."'she  conth^ued.  in  the 
wme  easy  stram.  "This  is  my  husband.  Geor«! 
Now  we  all  know  one  another,  don't  we?" 

ing,    How  do  you  do? -to  each.    To  this  they  foJnd  it 
loS 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

?o^if.!°  ^  '"•  "  "'''^  '^"'  '^^  «■«  »««<ommitt.l 

"Oh.  Mr.  Win.hip,"  Laura  rattled  on,  a.  A,  p,nv 

moved  a  few  pace,  toward,  the  centre  of  th^  ^ 

raula.    J  ve  been  to  Me  it  twice.    Everybody  .ay, 
Aat  n«h,„g  equal  to  it  ha.  appeared  in  the  &Ion  durfj 
Ae     ,t  ten  yea«.    Now.  do  tell  me."  .he  pur.ued 
eager  to  cover  up  the  fir.t  few  t^^ing  ^inut^.'^^^didj.' 

.Z^u'"  ^'"'llIP  """"••  ""'•  °"«  I  h'd  the  chance  to 
.ketch  .n  the  Quirinal  Palace  in  Rome.    You  "ee   J 

tz;XX-'  ■"""• ""'"'"' '"''  •"■  "■-"«' 

to  "ut^r  "  '"""  '"  '^"^°"'  "^'''.  °ff-ng  a  seat 
A  Buhl  table,  with  .ome  gilded  and  tapejtried  arm- 
chair, about  ,t.  seemed  to  offer  a  rallyin7p™nt.  aTd 
presently  they  were  all  seated.    It  was  Janly' accident 

Marah  together  on  one  side,  with  the  three  Traffords 
facmg  them  on  the  other.  Laura  felt  that  her  pC  of 
takmg  the  lead  was  now  at  an  end.  There  wJ^^H  few 
seconds  of  constraint  before  Trafford  spoke.     He  looT 

tnat  ot  a  man  musmg  aloud. 

"Our  meeting  of  his  afternoon  is  of  a  kind  that  must 
make  any  thoughtful  person  believe  in  the  d."  a'g 
finger  of  a  h.gher  Providence.    The  ve^r  .tronge.t  J 
'99 


THE  QANTB  STRENGTH 

u«  must  be  lubject  to  His  authority.  In  fact,  I  don't 
suppose  that  with  Him  there  are  such  things  as  strong 
or  werk  at  all.  We  are  simply  His  children,  fuiaiing 
His  designs." 

This  opening  was  so  little  what  any  one  expected  that 
there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  accept  it  in  silence. 

"I   realize   that   the   more   fully   as    I    see   events 
shaping   themselves    better    than   I  could    have   di- 
rected them.     Yes,  I  confess  that  it  is  better.     I  ad- 
mit  that  I  have  had  my  own  plans— plans  that  have 
been  very  near  my  heart.     But  now,  as  I  approach  my 
threescore  years  and  ten,  I  see  them  being  gently  taken 
from  my  hand,  and  others  oflfered  me  in  their  place. 
Very  wc'l,  I  accept  them.     It  doesn't  take  much  re- 
flection to  see  that  an  old  man  is  better  occupied  in 
sowing  the  blessings  of  peace  than  in  continuing  the 
wars  of  his  youth.    Mr.  Winship,  I  believe  you  have 
asked  my  daughter  to  marry  you." 
"I  have." 

"And  that  she's  consented." 
"I've  understood  her  so." 

"Then  I,  too,  consent.  I  don't  pretend  that  I  can 
give  her  away  easily  to  any  man.  She's  more  than 
precious  in  my  sight.  But  I  realize  that  a  day  must 
come,  before  many  years  are  over,  when  she  will  need 
other  guardianship  ti.an  mine;  and  where  can  she  find 
it  better  than  in  the  man  who  loves  her,  and  whom  she 
loves,  and  of  whom  every  one  speaks  well  ?" 

"I  can  only  say,"  Winship  murmured,  "that  to  me 
the  trust  will  be  a  sa<:red  one.     Her  very  sacrifice  in 

2CO 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

manj^ng  me  will  make  it  aU  the  more  my  duty  to  see 
that  she  is  compassed  about  with— love  " 

"I  like  that/'Trafford  said,  warmly.  "Where  there's 
love  care  and  sorrow  take  their  proper  and  subordinate 
^ZZ  t  "''T;.  °^  *'"^-  M'-  Winship.  we're 
for^us  all  .f  I  speak  qmte  frankly  and  without  re- 

'•That's  what  I  should  like."  Winship  agreed. 

heald  "  "7''  Pw°f ''■  *""  ^  '•''"''  y°"'"  fi"''  "»  open- 
hearted  people.    We're  a  united  family,  and.  with  the 

necessaty  crosses  such  as  fall  to  human  lots,  we've  been 

a  happy  family.    God  has  blessed  me.  eve.  though  He 

has  seen  fit  to  take  from  me  all  my  children  but  my  lit- 

de  youngest-bom-and.  now,  her  mother.  ,00.     Still, 

He  has  blessed  me     I  should  be  ungrateful  to  deny  the 

fact,  after  all  He  has  enabled  me  to  do.    And  just  as 

!.T^       u"""  ^T'  "'  •""'  6*^^"  •""=•  =»»  "  were,  an' 
other  daughter,  so  I  am  ready  to  see  in  you-an  only 

Winship  bowed,  and  Trafford  hurried  on. 
You  see.  we  want  to  take  you  in  as  one  of  ourselves. 

I  Z"'/^"  '°w''  ?"*  '"  ""=  y""  ^^'^  =•  '"=^°°d  father. 
I  want  M.SS  Wmship  to  be  one  of  us  also;  and."  he 

contmued.  looking  directly  at  Marah,  with  an  encoLrag- 
mg  smile.  I  ve  taken  certain  steps  which  I  hope  wUl 
assure  her  of  my  unlimited  good-will." 

He  drew  a  small  memorandum-book  from  his 
pocket,  and  began  turning  its  pages.  Marah  sat  bolt 
upnght.  with  the  rigidity  of  steel.    Her  snapping  eyes 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

were  fixed  on  TrafiFord,  like  those  of  a  little  animal 
watching  its  minute  to  spring. 

"It  would  be  idle  to  ignore  the  fact,"  Trafford  went 
on,  "that  it  isn't  the  first  time  our  interests  have  lain  in 
the  same  field,  even  though  it's  the  first  time  we  meet. 
And  yet  I  need  hardly  go  back  to  speak  of  the  past. 
I  consider  it  dead  and  buried.  I  want  to  erect  over  its 
ashes  to-day  a  monument  of  affection  and  peace.  I'm 
sure  you  will  understand  the  sentiments  by  which  I'm 
governed,  without  any  further  explanation  on  my  part, 
when  I  say,  my  dear  Miss  Winship,  that  I  beg  to  turn 
over  to  you,  now,  at  once,  securities  to  the  amount  of 
half  a  million  of  dollars." 

"Why?" 

The  laconic  directness  of  Marah's  question  had  a 
slightly  disconcerting  effect  on  Trafford's  benevolent 
placidity. 

"Surely  that's  self-evident,"  he  smiled,  in  gentle  re- 
sponse. "Your  brother  is  about  to  marry  my  daugh- 
ter. It  wouldn't  be  fitting— you'll  excuse  me  if  I  speak 
quite  plainly— it  wouldn't  be  quite  fitting  that  you 
should  remain  in  your  circumstances,  while  we  are  in 
ours." 

"They've  been  my  circumstances  for  over  twenty 
years,  Mr.  Trafford.  I've  battled  with  them  and 
borne  them.  I  shouldn't  be  myself,  now,  in  any 
others."  ■' 

"But  I  want  you  to  feel,"  Trafford  persisted,  "that 
there  will  no  longer  be  any  need  for  you  to  work—" 
"I'm  used  to  working,"  Marah  broke  in.    "I've 
202 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

worked  as  few  people  have  ever  done.  I've  worked  as 
I  never  expected  to  work  in  the  days  before — before 
you  came  into  our  lives,  Mr.  TraflFord  I  haven't  only 
toiled  and  pinched  and  scraped — I've  starved.  I've 
seen  my  mother  and  my  brother  starving.  I  was  only 
a  girl  not  older  than  your  daughter,  and  not  less  ten- 
derly nourished,  when  you,  with  your  merciless  hand, 
drove  me  out,  bewildered  and  penniless,  into  the  world, 
with  the  care  of  a  mother  and  a  little  lad  upon  me. 
Now  you  arc  willing  to  erect  over  my  ruined  life  a 
monument  of  affection  and  peace.  I  thank  you,  but 
I  don't  want  it." 

"Dear  Miss  Winship,"  Trafford  said,  still  more 
gently,  "do  you  think  that  the  heart  of  a  general,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  ravage  some  fair  province,  doesn't  often 
bleed  for  those  whom  he  is  obliged  to  render  homeless  ? 
Business  and  war  are  alike,  in  that  neither  conquered 
nor  conqueror  escapes  without  a  wound." 

"Men  ruin  in  war  for  a  country's  sake;  they  rob  in 
business  for  their  own." 

"You're  using  hard  words.  Miss  Winship." 

"I'm  speaking  of  hard  things.  May  I  ask,  Mr. 
Trafford,  if  my  words  aren't  true  f" 

"Perhaps,"  Trafford  said,  with  a  patient  smile,  "we 
should  be  in  danger  of  getting  into  an  abstract  dis- 
cussion, when  our  attention  should  be  fixed  on  a  par- 
ticular point.  I  repeat  that  I'm  glad  to  place  this 
money  at  your  disposal,  and  should  be  still  more  glad  to 
know  that  you  accepted  it." 

"I  couldn't  do  it.  I  should  feel  that  I  was  buying 
203 


THE  OANTS  STRENGTH 


mothers  twenty  years  of  want"  ^ 

of'lSn'"  "^'t*^""*  ;"■'''  '°*'"8  '"""e  of  his  forced  air 

vour  b^ntK      '  "^'l'  *""'"8 '°  Winship-"  unless 

your  brother  can  persuade  you." 

Iv  "a!,?i'lK'"^  ""' • '' '?"'"  "8ht."  Winship  said,  quiet- 
ly,  and  with  a  certam  air  of  detachment.  ^ 

Ihe  three  Traffords  gave  a  simultaneous  start  as  if 
from  a  slight  electric  shock. 
"You'll  pardon  me  if  I  don't  understand,"  TrafFord 

Nol    I  never  said  so." 
"But  what?    Upon  my  soul,  I  don't  follow  you." 

^^iJMj;  position."  Winship  said,  "needs  some  e^pla- 
"So  it  would  seem,"  Trafford  assented,  dryly. 

Xr^f:^,:^-'""''"''  ■"'  •"»  -"">  -  'Haring  a 

;;HmphI    I  doubt  if  she  took  that  detail  in." 

1  thmk  ,t  qu.te  possible.     I've  never  had  any  real 

opportumty  .o  place  the  matter  in  its  true  lightlS 

ner.    l  ve  had  almost  no  communication  with  her  since 

204 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

the  minute  she  promised  to  become  my  wife.  Without 
your  consent,  she  has  refused  to  see  me,  or  even  to  let 
me  write  to  her." 

"And  what  might  that  true  light  be  ?" 

"Only  that  I  wish  to  marry  her  for  herself,  and  for 
I \. •self  alone.  If  she  comes  to  me,  it  will  have  to  be 
without — money." 

Trafford  drew  his  chair  closer  to  the  Buhl  table,  as 
though  to  diminish  the  distance  between  them,  and 
fixed  on  Winship  the  look  before  which  all  other  men 
had  quailed.  Winship,  too,  drew  up  his  chair,  and  re- 
turned the  gaze  with  quiet  steadiness. 

"You  wish  me  to  understand,  I  presume,"  Trafford 
said,  speaking  slowly,  "that  your  motives  are  quite  dis- 
interested. I'll  do  you  the  justice  to  say  that  I  never 
questioned  them." 

"I  should  like  you  to  understand  a  little  more  than 
thit,"  Winship  returned.  "But,  first,  may  I  explain 
that  the  present  situation  is  none  of  my  seeking  ?  Had 
I  seen  it  coming,  I  should  have  gone  out  of  my  way  to 
avoid  it.  There  seems  to  have  been  no  means  of  doing 
that.  Some  fatality,  or  some  destiny,  has  forced  it  on 
us  all.  If  I  had  been  given  my  choice,  the  last  woman 
in  the  world  whom  I  should  have  wished  to  marry  would 
have  been — a  child  of  yours." 

"You're  quite  right  to  be  frank,"  Trat  .rd  threw  in, 
with  a  touch  of  irony. 

"Thank  you.     I  shall  try  to  be  so.     May  I  go  on 
with  my  explanation  ?    It  wasn't  I  who  sought  Miss 
Trafford  out,  neither  was  it  she  who  sought  me.     She 
205 


THE  GIANTS  STRENQ-m 


i^d  'kTlS'''*  'T'J'  ™  ^y  *«  ^«^Wge  that  you 

Let  him  go  on,"  he  muttered.    "Th«  ;.  tl,. 
remarkable  wooing  I  ever  heard  of."  *'  """" 

Yes;  It  has  to  be."  Winship  agreed.    "Butlw,n, 

Si'L!  rCd^-k'ntrtiir^hr  lY---  ^ «" 

that  she  was  able  to  foru.«n,  J^Th  r^^^  ^" 
TeXt  and  ?  ""u**  1°^"''  **""'»  '"■*  yo"i  her 

.    .  "^"^  .•■"<*  yo"  haven't  done  that."  Trafford  h™v 

AeuT.fi       "  ^  '°  ""''''  y°"  *'■«"  rich.    What's 
the  use  of  dragging  up  a  lot  of  unfortunate  rubbish  l 
the  very  minute  when  we  could  put  evervth^n         t 
agai^P    int'sfonytokillthegoosTthaHI^teloMt 

206  " 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

'85*>  "'■  »ureljr  criminal  to  strangle  the  poor  dove  that 
comes  with  the  olive-branch  of  peace." 

"It  isn't  the  peace  I  object  to,  but  the  terms  of  the 
treaty." 

"  My  God  I    Don't  I  offer  you  enough  ?" 

"Yes;  too  much.  I  ask  only  for  your  daughter's 
hand,  empty  of  dower." 

"  Look  here  I  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  think 
of  marrying  my  child  and  supponing  her  out  of  your 
miserable  painter's  pittance?" 

"Since  you  choose  to  put  it  so — yes." 

"  Then  you're  mad.  It's  out  of  the  question.  It's  pre- 
posterous. She's  lived  like  a  princess  all  her  life.  She'd 
spend  in  a  day  all  that  you  could  give  her  in  a  year." 

"I  think  not.  I  think  she'd  be  content  with  what  I 
could  offer  her." 

"  But,  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  why  should  she  ?  Here's 
money  to  squander,  money  to  throw  away,  money  to 
bum  up — " 

"  It's  money  I  couldn't  touch.  It's  money  I  couldn't 
allow  my  wife  to  touch.  It's  the  money  for  which  too 
many  widows  and  orphans  are  still  clamoring.  It's 
the  money  for  which  too  many  beggared  men  are  still 
cursing  the  sound  of  your  name.  It's  the  money  that 
came  when  old  Marshall,  of  Turtonville,  shot  himself, 
and  Rawson,  of  Fitchburg,  hanged  himself,  and  Brewer, 
of  Albany,  went  mad,  and  Bennett,  of  Cleveland,  be- 
came a  forger,  and  Jackson,  of  Ohio,  stabbed  your 
agent  and  got  penal  servitude  for  life,  and  Lewis,  of 
Philadelphia,  died  a  drunkard,  and  Barnes — " 
207 


(* 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

h{h?„d'  "°"«'""  '''''""'  -««••  «-!,.  holding  up 

"I  know  it',  enough."  Winship  threw  back     "T 
couldgoonwiththelistandmak.fr™    li  ^ 

out   mentioning  my  ow^  faSV  '"n^*"^*" 

enough.    You  «n  fin^  ^'h"  8  name.    But  that', 

Su/name,  aVl  ^  L^Lt?''  '^  ^o-'^- 

head  ben^  he  t^k  t„  K  ''"'"'  •""  ''"''  ="«»  «. 
Marah  had  ,  aSlTanldr  '""'•'""^  '^^  ^«""- 
versation  began  Lu^faJ  Iv  ''T""!'  ""'^  ""  ~"- 
at  the  floor     r^  "t  b.tmg  her  lip  and  looking 

was  iikerUdoTSidrS:;-,  "-  of  hi,  chair! 

at  the  man  opp4e.  ^^olt^Z^l'lLT' 
concerned  among  them  all  'PP"^"»y.  the  Iea,t 

TrafFord  strode  back  to  the  group  again. 
You  re  a  clever  man.  Mr.  Winshin '^L  .,-A 
P'ng  with  hi,  finger,  on   he  table     "Y    •         ^^'  ''^ 
iou,  man.     You'^ve  had  a  b W  io  s^Z  IT'"^A 

'•VditTciSeT'^^.^r-'-^^^^^^^^^^ 

came  into  mX;>   ^'"""P  «'"">«<•.  q-etly.    "It 
"But  you  know  how  it  cuts." 
Yes,  I  do  know  that." 
.^  ''And  you  have  no  scruple  about  thrusting  the  Made 

fnlT^u  "^"^^  '^°''''  '■"  ''""ed  from  you  Mr  Tr.f 
ford  that  scruples  belong  only  to  the  we'Tk"  ^' 

see  what  you  ve  been  working  round  to."  TrafFord 
208 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

went  on,  musingly.    "I  see  it  now.    I  see.    I  see.    I  see 
the  whole  game." 

"It  isn't  a  game,"  Winship  corrected— "it's  a  situa^ 
tion." 

"It's  more  adroit  than  I  thought  at  first.  The  worst 
of  which  I  could  suspect  you  was  the  plan  of  marrying 
my  daughter  in  order  to  get  her  money.  That  would 
have  been  bitter  pill  enough  for  me.  That  ought  to 
have  given  you  an  ample  revenge.  But  this  is— what 
shall  I  sayf — this  is  so  clever  as  to  be  nearly  dev- 
ilish." 

"I  must  call  your  attention  again  to  the  fact  that  the 
circumstances  are  not  of  my  making,  but  your  own. 
I  didn't  seek  to  love  your  daughter.  I  must  say  again 
and  again  that  we  were  brought  together  in  consequence 
of  "our  own  acts.  Now  that  I  do  love  her,  I  want  to 
marry  her.  That's  natural  enough.  But  I  can't  touch 
your  money.  No  honorable  man  could.  It's  blood- 
money.  But,  there  again,  if  that  knife  cuts  you,  it's 
one  of  your  own  forging,  not  of  mine.  It  isn't  the  first 
time  the  conquered  have  been  avenged  by  the  very 
cruelty  of  the  conquest.  lo  Ftctis  is  a  song  the  world 
has  heard  over  and  over  again." 

"Hmph!  Blood-money!  It's  blood  -  money,  is  it? 
And  you  want  my  child  to  say  so." 

"I  want  her  to  be  true  to  what  I  know  are  already  her 
own  high  and  holy  convictions." 

"You  want  her  to  choose  between  you  and  me,  be- 
fore the  world.    Then,  by  God  I  she  shall,"  he  cried, 
bringing  his  fist  down  upon  the  table. 
2C9 


THE  GIANTS  SraENG-m 


He  marched  to  the  enil  of  >k.  i 
open  a  door.  ""  '°"«  "»■"•  ""d  thfwr 

r^-i^'''-^'"-^'pa".r^;Tre''di„ 

«pe<;ed  her  to  do     J^lr""  M  ''°"'"'''"  °^''''«  «hey 

in  a  half-.mile.    She  wa.  i„  bTalt  '  '"u  •""  "P'  P'"^'" 
pearls  ,„  the  fri„  arouIdVe"  tSt.""  '  "^  "'  ""^ 

••ewilder  her.    She^Sed  1^^^""''  '°°"  "^P"  '» 
tioningiy.  and  her  .^^7  "'  "  """*''  ""- 

i.adS";j::/S:e^'''»'P--«  "gain  before, he 

Paula,  my  child,"  Trafford  uid   "f        ■ 
consent  to  your  marriage  ^th  Mr  W.W    ^"'^.^ 
not  withdrawn  it."  Wmship,  aad  I've 

The  half-smile  came  bact     H.. 

"Nn  n„»  f  ..  "  'O"^  more." 

noth^g.""  '"  '"°''-    ^■■"""•P  corrected.    "I  ask  for 


210 


TWE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

."i^°"'' ""'*'"«'"'  "  »".  papa." 
men  I II  put  it  to  you  plainly     Mr   WJn.fc.v  • 
hTntr- "^  you.  but^u  Lt  '^r^.  H^ltjt;! 

mini  'L""'''!!''  ""'"  ''"  "■■<>•  P"*""?'!/-     "I  don't 

mean,.    He  wants  every  one  to  .ee  that  it',  for  mywl?- 
not  for  anything  else."  myieii— 

"That  isn't  quite  his  motive,  dear.  But  iM>rk.n.  k 
could  explain  it  better  than  I  Un  Will  'out  ^Jli^' 
enough^"  he  added,  turning  to  WinswJ.  ^°to  ^||^ 
daughter  why  ,t  is  that  you'd  shut  her  out  frZ  1' 
provision  I've  worked  .0  h'ard  to  saveZ  he  r°™  *' 
If  Miss  Trafford  is  willing  to  make  the  sacrifi™  v 
«»m.  eo  me  the  explanation  Lom::U'n:j::sT.^»'" 

3i^^^K^-Se~; 

Oh,  don't  papa." the  girl  pleaded.  "Don't  tell  me  " 

between  my  enemies  and  me." 
"But  Roger  isn't  your  enemyl" 

211 


fl 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"No,no."Winihipcried.  "That'i  not  fair.  Th.t'i 
not  what  I  af k  for.  I  » k  only  that  ihe  .hall  come  to 
me  ai  ihe  ii,  without  money,  without  dower.  I'm  not 
trying  to  force  her  into  putting  any  conwruction  on  the 
act — 

"And  I'm  not  tplitting  hair.,"  Trafford  interrupted, 
•cornfully.  'I'm  not  drawing  nice  philosophical  di.- 
tinction..  If  .he  doe.n't  put  a  con.truction  on  the  act. 
you  will,  and  the  world  will.  Paula,  darling,  he  want, 
you  to  refuw  my  money  because  it',  blood -money. 
TTiose  are  hi.  word..  He  want,  you  to  many  him 
without  a  penny.  Then  every  one  will  be  able  to  .ay 
that  Paul  Trafford  must  be  what  hi.  enemie.  and 
traducer.  have  called  him.  because  his  own  daughter 
thmk.  him  .o."  " 

''Oh  no,  Roger,  you  don't  mean  that!" 
"He  mean,  more,  dearest.    He  means  that,  a*  you 
•re  al  I  have,  w>  even  that  .hall  be  taken  from  me." 
"But  I  couldn't  bel" 

"That',  for  you  to  decide,  dear-and  to  decide  now. 
He  know,  that  I  could  bear  up  against  the  world,  what- 
wr  It  might  say,  whatever  it  might  be  led  to  believe. 
But  he  knows,  too,  that  what  I  couldn't  bear  up  against 
IS  that  you  should  say,  •  Papa,  I  can't  touch  your  money, 
1  can  t  touch  your  hand,  because  they're  full  of  blood.' " 
"Roger,  I  wish  you'd  speakl"  she  pleaded.  " I  wish 
you'd  tell  me  yourself  what  it  all  means." 

"How  can  I  tell  you  f"  he  asked,  moving  towards  her 
with  hands  out-stretched,  as  if  in  petition.     "  Can't  you 
guess?    Can't  you  see?    Don't  you  know  how  this 
212 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

•tupendou.  fortune  hai  been  brought  together  f    Don't 

you  know  that  ,t'.  been  by  eveiy  form  of  financial  jug- 

gleiy  the  mind  ha.  been  able  to  invent?    Don't  you 

know  that  It  I  been  by  way.  a.  crooked  a.  they  were 

cruel  ?    Don  t  you  know  that  it',  been  by  .  .v.tem  of 

depredauon  to  gigantic  that  even  the  common  opinion 

01  the  common  world  ha.  rinn  in  revolt  againat  it  f" 

,k    ?f°"  "*'"  ^'e«  Trafford  .houted.     It  wa.  a.  if 

«,    V?*?  ''"''  *°"  "''">'  *■"■"  '««  '"»»>  "d  'Prung 
at  Wmthip'.  throat. 

"Be  quiet,  George,"  Laura  begged. 

y  Stand  back,"  Win.hip  .aid.  in  a  tone  of  authority. 

I  m  here  to  explain  to  Miss  Traffbrd,  the  woman  T 

love,  and  who  love.  rae.    I  lie,  do  I?    Then  why  nave 

you  Irafford.,  and  your  monopolies,  been  hunted  from 

court  to  court,  throughout  the  whole  land  of  America  ? 

Why  ..the  pre.,  ringing  daily  with  your  name,  and 

callmg  for  juwice  against  you?    Why  have  you  been 

dnven  to  every  legal  shift  in  order  to  dodge,  or  twist  or 

circumvent  the  law?    Why  have  you  .pent  million,  to 

buy  up  clever  men.  to  corrupt  politicians,  to  bribe  a 

pre...  and  to  purchase  a  little  public  that  might  stand 

by  you  ?    You  have  no  friends  but  paid  friends,  and  no 

standing  except  among  thoM  who  are  overawed  by  the 

brutahty  of  your  power.     Even  so,  no  one  knows  better 

than  yourselves  that  that  power  will  not  stand  a  day 

when  once  the  moral  wits  of  the  people  are  awakened; 

no  one  knows   better  than  yourselves  that  the  very 

sycophants  of  your  success  will  be  the  first  to  rejoice  in 

your  downfall.    And  yet  you-a  Traffordl-dare  to 

»i3 


I 


THE  GIANT'S  STRENGTH 

tell  me  that  I  lie!    Dear  Paula."  he  went  on,  in  another 
tone,  turning  again  to  the  girl,  who  stood  listening  with 
white  face  and  terrified  eyes-"  dear  Paula,  I'm  saying 
nothing  new.     It's  only  what's  notorious  to  the  worid 
rou  re  the  only  person,  perhaps,  on  earth  who  doesn't 
know  It  all.     If  it  had  been  possible  to  keep  it  from  you, 
I  should  have  done  it.    But  it  isn't  possible.    Sooner  or 
later  you  must  have  learned  it.     Don't  you  understand, 
then,  that  when  I  see  you  in  the  midst  of  all  this  "—he 
threw  out  his  arms  with  a  wide  gesture— "it's  as  if  I 
saw  you  living  in,  clothed  in,  the  ruin  of  beggared  men 
and  hungry  women  and  children  ?    When  I  see  you  in 
your  splendor,  your  pearis  are  to  me  like  their  tears, 
your  rubies  like  their  sweat  of  blood.     I  can't  bear  it. 
I  cant  bear  it.     It's  like  desecration.     It's  like  sacrilege 
awTT  '"'"'  ^°"  °"'  °^  '*■    ^^'  '""""^  "way-come 
"And  leave  my  father  ?" 
"You  needn't  leave  him. 
all  this." 

"Is  there  no  way  by  which  love  could  make  some- 
some  reconciliation  ?" 
"None." 

"TTien,  papa,"  she  said,  in  a  dull  tone,  "I'm  your 
daughter.    If  I  have  to  make  the  choice,  it  must  be  you  " 
bhe  moved  across  the  room  to  his  side,  slipping  her 
arm  into  his.  ° 

Winship  raised  his  hands  again,  with  their  petitioning 
gesture,  but.  before  the  look  of  pathetic  reproach  in  her 
eyes,  he  let  them  fall  again. 
214 


You  need  only  leave 


THE  GIANTS  ^THEICTH 
••V^T^C  '^''^°'^  *»'<J.  «n  a  voice  that  shook  a  httle 

"Oh,  papa,"  she  returned,  wearily,  "how  can  ,> 
matter  what  I  say?    !'„  so  tired  ofit  aT   I  "  v" 

igh'r' ' ""  ^°""^ "  ^"^  -■*  ^-  I-''  thi: 

Winship  could  see,  as  he  had  seen  once  before   the 
ashen  hue  steal  over  Trafford's  face 

hand^'""!?';"  ^"  "'"™""'»>  dropping  his  daughter's 
land.       I  supposes  IS  enough.     It  will  have  to  be  " 

moTemir  ^"'T'^J^"""'  ='"''  "'^"  "  simultaneous 
movement.  The  Wmships  were  going  away.  Paula 
gave  a  httle  start,  as  of  one  awakening  ^  ' 

Couldn  t  we  be  alone  together?"  she  begged,  look- 
ing round  among  them  all-"  just  for  a  min«e?" 
Winslfn  ^''""  ^^  *°'"«''ow,  got  them  from  the  room. 
Wmship  and  Paula  stood,  confronting  each  other    He 
remamed  at  a  distance,  looking  at  L  with  buini^g 

to  Zt^''"  "^"  '■'''^""'-"Rogerl    Would  it  be  useless 
L^nfs  ?°"  ™"  "PP"'  '°  ^°"  ^    ^*""  °"  'ove  end 

;;Our  love  doesn't  end.    Our  love  can't  end." 
But  all  the  rest  of  it-all  our  happiness?    Is  it  to 
be  flung  away  for  this  ?    How  could  you  «pect  me   o 

"ortt  T  '"V""'"^    I'wLldK:."" 

ask  for  d,af '  li'  "   '  '""'"S  "^"^'  •>"'  "I  -J-dn't 

a«k  for  that    Don  t  turn  your  back  on  him.    Love 

215 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

him  always,  as  you've  loved  him,  only  come  to  me.  Re- 
nounce  all  this,  that's  so  unworthy  of  you,  and  come  to 
me  vnthout — the  money." 

"I  can't,  Roger.  Don't  you  see  that  I  can't  ?  What- 
ever the  money  is,  even  if  it's  all  you  say,  I  can't  separate 
myself  from  it  now.  It's  bound  up  with  my  father,  and 
I  m  bound  up  with  him.  I've  got  to  carry  the  weight 
of  It.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  you  loved  me,  you'd  come 
and  help  me  bear  it." 

"You've  only  to  think  of  what  that  would  mean,  to 
see  how  impossible  it  would  be.  You  and  I  living  to- 
gether  m  splendid  luxury  on—" 

"No,  Son't,"  she  cried.  "  Don't  say  it  affain.  Once 
has  seared  the  words  right  into  my  heart.  I  sha'l  al- 
ways feel  them  burning  there.  Then,  Roger,  if  you 
can  t,"  she  added,  hopelessly,  "there's  nothing  for  us 
but  to  part.  I  must  go  my  way  with  my  father,  even 
though  I  fall  in  it.  God  will  help  me,  perhaps,  to 
stumble  on.  I  must  leave  you  now.  I  can't  stay— it's 
killing  me.    Good-bye— good-bye." 

She  held  out  her  hand.     He  dropped  on  his  knee, 
and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 
Almost  before  he  had  risen,  he  found  himself  alone. 

It  was  a  dreary  little  party  that  assembled  in  the 
small  family  salon  that  evening  before  dinner.  Laura's 
eyes  were  red;  George  tried  to  hide  himself  behind  his 
paper;  TrafFord  turned  his  back  on  them,  pre-ndinT  to 
^k  down  at  the  stream  of  carriages  coming  from 'the 
Bois.  In  the  condition  of  nervous  tension  to  which 
216 


THE  QANTS  STRENGTH 

Jey  were  all  wrought  up,  a  little  scream  from  Laura 
was  enough  to  make  them  start 

cra'lyr  ''"^''  "''''"  '^'  "'''^-  "^''»'"' "«  yo" 

.o!''"'t"°°'''°  ''"'  ''°°'^='y-  She  was  dressed  in 
some  shimmenng  stuff,  like  tissue  of  gold.     On  her 

ifnl  I  Z°u  ""  '''Sh.  round,  diamond  crown  her 
n.other  had  bequeathed  her;  a  collar  of  rubies  was 
chsped  about  her  throat;  a  girdle  of  diamonds  and 
rub.es  encrcled  her  waist;  diamonds  and  rubies  were 
on  her  arms;  while  round  her  neck  she  had  the  rows 
upon  rows  of  the  famous  Trafford  pearls.  Her  ro^ 
hke^color  was  bright,  her  eyes  shone,  and  she  smM 

iind^      "      ""'"^"^  •""  ^""^  ""=  ""''"'"^^  °f*e 

m,'2''i  T  *'~'  "^^  y"*"*'""  "P '"  George  com- 
mented, lookmg  up  at  her,  over  his  paper,  with  a  sort 
of  savage  reproach.    "  What's  the  idea  ?" 

you  oS't.!!^"  ^"""  P^--"-  "I  -^-'^  'Wnk 

wa'rd^'"TV'°"''7"f°'''  commanded,  striding  for- 
ward.      I  know  what  she  means;  don't  I,  dear  ?'' 
1  hope  so,  papa,"  she  smiled,  as  she  let  him  take  her 

wear  th  'T'  T'  '"''  '">'  P^"'"'^'"'""  °f  f^-ith.  I 
wear  them  because  they're  your  gifts  " 

on^iVr  '"°  "■'u™"'"'  '""^  '^^  conversauon  turned 
on  the  degree  to  which  the  jewels  suited  her.  The 
commonplace  topic  relieved  the  strain,  and  the  evening 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

passed  in  a  sort  of  artificial  cheerfulness.  It  was  not 
till  they  were  parting  for  the  night  that  Laura  found  the 
moment  for  a  private  word  with  her. 

"I  wouldn't  force  myself,  if  I  were  you,  dear,"  she 
advised. 

"I  have  to,"  Paula  replied,  with  arms  uplifted  in  the 
act  of  taking  oflF  her  crown.  "  I  couldn't  do  it  without 
forcmg  myself.  But  I  shall  be  equal  to  it,  Laura.  I'm 
not  afraid  of  breaking  down.  Only  you  must  help  me. 
You  must  laugh  when  I  do,  and  we  must  both  talk 
brightly.^  1  want  papa  to  think  I've  done  it  easily.  If 
he  doesn't,  he'll  be  unhappy,  and  everything  will  be  in 
vain. 

"God  bless  you,  dear,"  Laura  murmured,  as  she 
kissed  her.    "God  bless  you,  and  bless  you  again." 


CHAPTER  XIX 


PAUL  TRAFFORD  stood  at  a  window  of  that 
house  which  no  changes  have  been  able  to  dis- 
sociate from  the  memory  of  La  Pa'iva.     It  was  the 
middle  of  September,  and  he  was  thinking  idly  that  the 
increased  stir  in  the  Champs-Elysees  showed  already 
that  the  dispersed  forces  of  Paris  were  beginning  to 
concentrate  again.    From   mountains,  sea-shore,  and 
chateaux;  from  Asia,  America,  and  the  antipodes  of  the 
world,  the  great,  beautiful  city  was  drawing  new  re- 
sources for  the  endless  tragic  comedy  that  makes  up  her 
life.    The  curtain  was  rising  on  a  season  in  which  the 
events  would  be  as  different  as  the  fashions  from  those 
of  last  year.    What  were  they  to  be  f    In  every  nerve 
of  Paris  there  was  that  sense  of  awakening  curiosity 
which   is   simultaneous  with  the   moment  when   the 
chestnuts  put  forth  a  few  fresh,  green  leaves  among  the 
brown,  and  here  and  there  a  flower.    The  slanting 
autumn  sunshine  was  rich  with  the  desire  that  is  more 
earthly,  more  passionate,  and  more  essential  to  the 
heart  than  all  the  hope  of  spring.    Youth,  with  its  care- 
less anticipations,  had  gone  on  its  holidays  in  June ; 
iiiiddle-age  was  coming  back,  with  its  desperate  long- 
ings, in  September.    There  was  to  be  something  new, 
219 


i 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
wmething  the  eye  had  not  .een  before.    Was  it  pc 

Hand  tlld  ,J  TTr  ^"'  ^'"'"  *«  I-i"ble 
Hand  turned  the  kaleidoscope  of  events,  what  would 
the  new  combinations  be  ? 

^unt.  What  kind  of  a  season  was  preparing  for  him 
ler^  n  I  T  \v'  =■  y'"  ='^0.  here  in  thfs  ve:^  T^v^ 

i^rioSttriJrffordVr^^ 

»,u-  u  L    u    .    .  ""ord  had  entered  on  the  winter 

lorious  career.    And  yet,  ,n  those  very  months  he  had 

^en^d'  ""u  """f '  '"""^  indeLble  chl; t- 
tween  his  daughter  and  himself.  ^ 

be!:j  tbt  r/LV^fwas^'STet:''"'''  h°  '""^^ 
them  f  TrafFord  was  not  useTtV  liraL"  Tf  eU 
a«er,  and  admitted  he  did  not  know.  She  S  hi"' 
She  seemed  happy;  she  was  often  lively,  i„  her  <,u," 
way.  bhe  was  tenderer  and  sweeter  v^tU  i,-  l 
she  had  ever  been  She  Za  f,''^"*^^^*  him  than 
W.\,  k-  .,  ""°  '>°"'e  the  rupture  with 

Winship  so  easily  that  h.  I,,J  k  '"piure  witn 

ranM  „„i,  .!-•  u  ^^       ,         ""''  '"'"  aston  shed.    He 
220 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

atmosphere  about  her  lome  spiritual  element  that  put 
him  ill  at  ease.  He  wondered  if  he  were  not  growing 
to  be  afraid  of  her.  as  though  she  were  no  longer  the 
daughter  of  his  blood,  but  some  ethereal  visitant  from 
other  spheres. 

"If  her  sister  Jennie  were  to  come  back  to  me  from 
the  Lord  s  own  keeping,"  he  sometimes  said  to  himself, 
1  don  t  suppose  I  should  have  a  stranger  feeling  of 
unearthliness." 

There  seemed  to  TraflFord  but  one  means  of  bridging 
over  the  gulf  that  had  opened  between  the  girl  and 
common  life:  that  she  should  marry  and  have  children 
It  was  impossible  then  for  his  mind  not  to  go  back  to 
Wiltshire.  Therewasthemanforher!  It  was  a  million 
pities  that  she  had  not  feh  so  herself.  He  would  have 
watched  over  her  and  worshipped  her.  He  would  have 
been  to  her  all  that  Hector  was  to  Andromache.  There 
were  even  times  when  Trafford  imagined  that  Paula 
regretted  having  sent  him  away.  He  was  afraid  to  hint 
at  It,  for  fear  of  touching  too  rudely  what  might  be  the 
delicacy  of  an  awakening  sentiment.  But  the  fact  was 
there,  diat  she  spoke  of  him  often,  and  always  in  a  strain 
of  tenderness.  Then,  too,  she  had  never  looked  so 
favorably  on  any  other  man,  with  the  exception  of  this 
young  Winship,  for  whom,  after  all,  apparently,  she  had 
not  c-.red. 

"Lord!  if  it  could  only  be  brought  about,"  he  said 
to  himself  now.  "I  believe  I  should  be  ready  then  to 
depart  in  peace." 

He  was  turning  away  from  the  window  to  think  of  his 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


I 


ing  remarkable  in  ,1..  e       l  ""'  ''"  "^h- 

see  us."  "'"*'•    ^°"  ■»"«  come  out  and 

Iu.;ii  t^te?  neJV'  -ntin,e.ca„We  have 
"All     •  u     .^  "  '"'  '^""'''  «»'k  a  bit." 

fellows' i-tftU'gr"'"'-     ^-^'^  "^  -  -y 

"Let's  ^to  hI    .   *u       '"' '''"  "°*  insensible. 
theyf^dKS'no!::.""^"^''-    "^«'-''- 
It  was  m  the  minute  of  going  out  to  take  a  cab  that 

222 


I 


THE  CaANTS  Si-RENGTH 


looks  hke  a  man  who's  had  some  great  sh^kf  .Si 

P<»e  ,t  must  have  been  Mrs.  Trafford'!  del  "       """ 

Ihe  scraps  of  conversation  after  they  had  order«l 

inHunply  '''^   '''°«"'8  »«  ^ad  just  had 

fL^^/'"  ?"  "^  "^'y  ''°™  to  "laughter  birds  at 

ever  I  am.  I  f  JasTi  s^^.M  K         *'  •'"'"P-   ^"- 
223 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Loril  England  i,  the  la«  place  I  can  way  in.    If  .v., 
I  do  take  a  week  at  one  of  my  place,  over  there  aZ 

''Well  you'll  maror  one  of  them  in  time." 

whn  '  V  i  '  ^°'-  ^'"^  ""^  °f  «'^««  d""  ™n  with 
whom  such  thmgs  go  hard.  It's  just  a  year  ago  ^n't 
«.^..nc^we  first  spoke  of-^f-s^ethiilg  thaf  n^er 

"If  you  don't  mind  my  saying  so,  Wiltshire,  I  always 
thought  you  gave  up  that  li«hr  rather  easily  "  ^ 

Do  you  mean-  f"  Wiltshire  began,  with  a  jerk. 
No   I  don  t.     I  don't  mean  anything  more  than  I 

ft      In  lovr."'"  "'  ^'""""^  ""'P  "  "  ""'"g  '^"  ""  ^° 

"  In  !ove  there  are  two  sides  to  consider.     I„  business 
you  have  only  your  own."  "««iness 

"But  I've  always  understood  that  the  business  of  love 
was  to  make  the  two  sides  one  " 

Uon""       ^"^»«'')'°-fy°-re  of  another 

"My  dear  boy,  I  have  no  opinion  at  all.    AH  I  know 

IL I    •  Tk"  r  ^'^  ^°""  ^"'°  '»«  February  my 
.ttle  g,rl  has  been  a  different  creature.     There's  Vome- 
thmg  the  matter  with  her  still.    I  don't  know  what  it  i, 
but  It's  clear  she  isn't  the  same." 
"Do  you  mean  that  she's  unhappy?" 
"I  shouldn't  go  so  far  as  that;  and  y^t  if  I  did  I  don't 
know  that  I  should  be  very  wrong.    To  me  it  seem,  a. 
224 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

if  the  were  living  in  another  world.  She  goei  and  iiti 
for  houn  in  the  park  of  the  Petit  Trianon— my  little 
place  touches  it,  you  know — and  when  »he  comes  back 
;he  look  in  her  eyes  is  like  that  of  some  sweet  soul  strayed 
out  of  paradise.  I  don't  know  what  to  say  to  her  or 
how  to  talk  to  her— I'm  damned  if  I  do." 

Trafford  made  fierce  lunges  at  his  slice  of  pre-sale, 
and  ate  savagely.  Wiltshire  did  not  eat  at  all.  He  sat 
reflecting  for  a  few  minutes  before  he  spoke. 

"I've  been  under  the  impression,"  he  said  at  last, 
"that  there  was  something  between  her  and  young 
Winship,  the  painter." 

"Oh,  pshaw!  There  was  nothing  in  that,"  Traflibrd 
declared,  gulping  nervously  at  his  Chablis.  "What 
could  there  be  f" 

"Only  what  might  not  be  unreasonable  between  a 
girl  like  Miss  Trafford  and  a  handsome,  idealistic  young 
chap — " 

"Oh,  come  now  I  The  fellow's  a  damned  scoundrel. 
I  know  all  his  ins  and  outs,  and  of  his  people  before 
him." 

"I'm  surprised  to  hear  you  say  that.  I've  always 
thought  rather  highly  of  him.  Alice  has  just  got  him 
a  somewhat  important  commission.  He's  been  ovpr  at 
Sandringham  painting  Queen  Alexandra.  She'd  heard 
about  his  portrait  of  Miss  Trafford,  and  got  Alice  to 
send  her  a  photograph  of  it.  She  seems  to  have  been 
quite  struck  with  it,  and  sent  Miss  Trafford  a  message 
to  that  effect.  She  thought  the  likeness  extraordinary, 
apart  from  the  other  merits  of  the  work." 
225 


i!   • 


' !  I   !l 


THE  CUANTS  STRENGTH 


"Oh    m„  "••'^.yw  opwion  of  the  young  man—" 
of  him  „  I  d„"  iS*'?"'  ^  ""  "«.  Paula  .hinki 

"Thankil" 

yn  no;  I  auure  you." 

I  called  him  a  tcoundivl     T  k.  j        •  > 
If.  a  word  I'm  tooTutt?  ?    "°  "«•"  '° ''°  *^'^ 

are  diffe«„    f^^  ^^  \^  °f  ""/  "ne  who.e  idea. 

I've  had^A  ArmTt  "*"  '^^  ""''  '"''^o""* 
yet  I'm  bWed  tf  Se^  L^v"  *  "\'^"  ^  «'''  '"■".  »»<• 
admire."       """'««'«»*  wmethmg  i„  him  I  rather 

A'o.d'^'l'^lt'"^  •"-  "bout  it.  Well, 
you."  P-    ^"  «^"  »°  g'ad  to  have  seen 

"Good-bye."  Trafford  «tun,ed.  as  he  got  into  hi. 
230 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

fi»cre.  "ni  tell  PauU  you're  here,  and  I  know  ihe'll 
want  you  to  conie  out  and  lee  ui." 

Wiltihire  waited  till  Traffbrd  was  out  of  hearing 
before  he  turned  round  to  the  chasseur  at  the  door  of 
the  rewaurant. 

"Find  out  for  me,"  he  laid,  "when  there  will  be  a 
train  for  Veraaillei,  and  call  me  a  cab." 


CHAPTER  XX 
gotten  the  simpk  elegance  of  it,  pi  pi  a«e«d  f      7' 

228  * 


I  ill! 
'  if! 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

where  princesses  and  court  ladies  had  loved  to  wandei 
m  the  cool  of  the  apfis-itnfe,"  and  now  the  shy  birds 
were  startled  by  a  foot-fall,  taking  flight  with  a  sharp 
whir  of  wings;  but  all  was  solitude  and  silence.     The 
rose-red  line  of  the  Grand  Trianon,  skirted  about  by 
gardens,  brilliant  with  the  splendid  hues  of  the  end  of 
summer,  showed  itself  on  his  left;  but  he  turned  from  it 
and  sought  the  deeper  recesses  of  the  park.     A  majestic 
mournfulness  spread  about  him  as  he  went  farther  on. 
Pines  shot  up  their  bronze-coloted  shafts  with  the 
•traightness  of  palms.    Ancient  pointed  firs  drooped 
with  a  melancholy  sweep,  dragging  their  lower  branches 
on  the  ivy-tangled  ground.    Junipers,  soft  as  mimosas 
and  spreading  like  cedars,  were  as  red  with  berries  as 
pomegranates  in  flower.     Dark  walls  of  clipped  yew 
led  to  stone  basins,  where  the  water  was  heavy  with 
dead  leaves,  and  the  bronze  water-babies  seemed  to 
have  been  arrested  forever,  in  mid-play,  by  tidings  of 
calamity.     Pale  buildings  showed  here  and  there  their 
crumbling  roofs  through  clusters  of  hlac  or  beneath 
yellowing  elms.     Here  was  a   rustic  village,  there  a 
temple  of  love,  elsewhere  a  sculptured  paviUon,  and 
everywhere  the  ghost  of  a  woman  whose  story  is  the 
most  moving  of  earthly  dramas  since  that  of  the  Son 
of  Man. 

Wiltshire  wandered  on,  seeing  no  one  but  an  occa. 
sional  workman  or  a  party  of  tourists. 

"Never  mind,"  he  said  to  himself.  "If  I  don't  find 
her  to-day,  I  shall  come  every  day  till  I  do." 

He  strayed  aimlessly,  knowing  that  any  deliberate 
229 


ml 


V 


'  1 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

^tf  """u  ^  "*•'«"-»"<«  th«  only  ,ome  happy 
chance  would  bnng  them  together.  There  were  mS 
prob,b,k,e.  that,  in  the  ,en,i^bscurity  of  shaded 
allee.  and  w,nd.ng  path,,  they  would  paT,  each  «Ser 

au'    Srh  '''".Tt"^  ""^  ""'  »•"  »«"1  "°t  come  at 

Wo.  tSf  r""  ''"''  ""•  •"  "'■'''  ""'"  "'ilight  told 
h.m  that  further  staying  would  be  fruitless.  He  would 
rather  meet  her  m  some  such  spot  as  this  than  in  the 
commonplace  atmosphere  of  a  drawing-room. 

TTiere  was  a  moment  when  he  found  himself  in  a  by- 
IJ  l!!"  "^  *^'  '"'^'"'"""8  eloom  of  laurel.  priv« 
.«e,  above  reached  here  only  i„  faint  iX  ofgcfd 
on  he  sombre  fohage.  The  pathway  climbed  a  fee 
knoll,  and  seemed  to  lead  into  some  sacred  grove  A 
mu^ur  of  f^hng  water  caught  his  ear.  and  hT^J^ 
.«  mus,c.  seeking  the  source.    There  were  no  birds  nor 

would  be  a  profanation,  since  the  songs  and  laughter 
ofthe  proud  men  and  light-hearted  wfmen.  who  h^d 
frequented  her*,  had  been  frozen  on  the  I  p,  by  t^e 
horror  of  the  coming  tragedy.  ^ 

It  was  with  surprise  that  Wiltshire  emerged  suddenly 

IrLT  vT^T'""-  ^°^  •«"<»«  him.  on  the 
brow  of  a  httle  chff.  perched  a  small  pavilion -an 
ep.tome  of  that  beauty,  simple,  stately,  and'sure  of  it.  Jf" 
to  wh,ch  the  eighteenth  century  worked  up.  through  aU 
the  splendors  of  color  and  all  the  graces  of  form.  TT," 
autumn  sunlight,  bathing  the  cTeam^oIoreT  w,\L 
230 


|r    I! 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

showed  glimpses  of  the  white-and-gold  decoration 
within— the  lyte,  the  harp,  the  flute,  and  whatever  else 
IS  suggestive  of  Ughtness,  gladness,  and  song.  Wiltshire 
stood  still.  He  was  not  an  imaginative  man— and  yet 
he  could  almost  persuade  himself  that  he  heard  the 
tinkle  of  the  spinet  giving  out  some  melody  of  Gluck's 
—he  could  almost  fancy  that  he  caught  sight,  through 
the  high  windows,  of  the  Queen's  white  fichu  or 
Madame  Elisabeth's  percale. 

He  was  so  lost  in  the  memories  of  the  spot  that  for  a 
mmute  he  nearly  forgot  the  object  of  his  quest.  It  was 
only  when  he  began  to  look  about  him  that  he  became 
aware  of  the  presence  of  a  girl  in  black.  She  stood  in 
the  centre  of  an  arched  rustic  bridge,  which,  beyond 
the  pavilion,  spanned  the  tiny,  artificial  chasm  be- 
neath. Behind  her  a  towering  mass  of  rocks  formed 
a  sort  of  grotto,  from  whence  came  the  sound  of  falling 
water  which  had  lured  him  on.  Her  hands  rested  on 
the  rustic  balustrade  of  the  bridge,  and  she  stood  look- 
mg  at  him,  as  he  at  her. 

For  a  minute  it  seemed  as  if  there  were  some  uncerw 
tamty  m  their  mutual  recognition.  It  was  only  when 
her  lips  quivered  in  a  faint  smile  that  Wiltshire  had  the 
courage  to  go  forward. 

"How  strange!"  she  cried,  turning  to  oflFer  him 
her  hand,  but  not  moving  from  her  place  in  the 
centre    of   the    bridge.     "I   was   just   thinking   of 

"And  I  of  you,"  Wiltshire  responded,  keeping  her 
hand  an  instant  longer  than  he  need  have  done.  "There 
231 


m  ' 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
ITn'u?  '""  ^"  •"'""  '""^  '■°«*  «  ^'k  be- 

h.r  S:"::,^:"'  ^ '''°'"''  •- "- '-  »»••  <."-o„.d.  „. 

evasively.       I  was  really  strolling  about  at  haphazard 

iijetuTyriifij^^ '"" '"  ^°'"'  '^^'^ '  ''-^' 

"Yes.  it  is."  she  agreed.  "I  come  out  into  the  Dark 
onTteli^'  ""'*rl'°"''  "'■"^  ^'^  -°  ™-"y 
so  few  people  ever  come  to  the  Trianons,  except  to  take 
a  humed  run  through  the  villas  and  a  wk  do^n  to  the 
Hameau.  They  don't  know  anything  abou7^r,^I 
beaut, es  and  aswxaations  of  the  place." 

"^u"'"'  "J^""*""  *'»  afternoon." 
Oh,  but  you  can't  know  anything  yet." 

n,e  Lout"'""'  "'°"^'''  ''^°"'''  *''=''  "■'--"''  *^te 

"I  should  love  to."  she  smiled,  "but  you  woul.ln't 

have  the  t.me.    I  doubt,  too.  if  you'd  havJthe  pattnce 

or  the  mterest  or  the  imagination  "  P»™nce 

.niiT^'M  "  ™"*«°"''.  I  kn°w  I  could  take  the  time 
^uJ  ~"'t7"-«^  ^e  others.  All  I  should  Zt 
would  be  a  httle  steering." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"I'm  afraid  you'd  need  more  than  that.    I  ques- 

r  si  dl'  7'«  °-/  *e  elect  few  who  wo^shTp 

iard  nofX       °^' .'^'y-    '^'^  «  the  enchanted 

garden  of  the  past    It's  one  of  the  few  spots  on  earth 

2)2 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

where  the  pan  isn't  past.  Almost  everywhere  else— ia 
Rome  or  Athens  or  Egypt,  for  instance  —  the  things 
that  happened  a  long  time  ago  are  hopelessly  out  of  one's 
mental  reach.  But  it  isn't  so  here.  This  is  one  of  the 
rare  places  that  later  generations  have  been  wise  enough 
to  let  alone.  This  very  spot  where  we're  sUnding  is 
exactly  as  it  was  when  Marie  Antoinette  left  it.  on 
October  5,  1789.  Did  you  know  that  she  was  right 
here  in  this  grotto  when  the  messenger  came  to  tell  her 
that  the  mob  from  Paris  was  advancing  on  Versailles  ? 
She  hurried  over  to  the  Chateau,  and  never  came  back 
any  more." 

She  spoke  with  a  certain  breathlessness,  as  though  to 
gain  time  or  to  conceal  embarrassment. 

"I'm  sure  I  could  learn  details  of  tl.at  sort  if  any- 
body vrould  be  willing  to  teach  me." 

"Ah,  but  would  you  come  and  sit  here  with  Marie 
Antoinette  herself?  Would  you  put  yourself  back  into 
her  time,  and  live  with  her  through  all  her  follies  and 
heartaches  and  sufferings  i" 

"I  shouldn't  ask  for  anything  better,  if  you'd  just 
show  me  how  to  do  it" 

"I  can  see  already  that  you  wouldn't  have  the  spirit. 
I'll  test  you.  Look  over  there,  in  that  path  beyond  the 
Uke.    Tell  me  what  you  see." 

"I  see  two  elderly  ladies  in  dark  dresses.  One  has 
knitting  in  her  hand,  and  one  is  carrying  a  parasol  " 

"And  that's  all?" 

"That's  all  I  can  see  with  the  naked  eye.  If  I  had  a 
field-glass—" 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Now,  that's  Madame  Adelaide  and  Madame  ^c- 
toire,  the  King's  aunts.  They're  neither  so  young  nor 
so  pretty  as  when  Nattier  painted  the  splendid  portraits 
over  at  Versailles,  but  there's  something  sweet  and 
touching  in  their  faces,  and  I  love  to  watch  them.  They 
come  over  to  Trianon  every  afternoon,  between  dinner 
and  supper.  If  there's  to  be  music  in  this  little  pavilion, 
you'll  see  them,  presently,  stroll  up  here.  Now,  listen. 
What  do  you  hear  here  ?" 

"  I  hear  some  children — squabbling." 

"No I  How  can  you?  They're  not  squabbling. 
That's  the  little  Dauphin  and  Madame  Royale  singing. 
They've  been  up  in  the  English  garden,  and  they'll  go 
by,  in  a  minute,  to  drive  their  team  of  goats  in  the 
meadow.  He,  poor  lamb,  will  look  so  wide-eyed  and 
innocent ;  and  she  will  have  already  in  her  young  face 
the  prophetic  expression  of  sadness  that  Vigee-Lebrun 
gives  her.  But  I  know  you  won't  see  it.  You'll  think 
it's  two  school-children  from  Versailles.  That's  be- 
cause you  haven't  the  spirit.  I  feel  certain  already  that 
you  couldn't  tell  me  who  that  is,  over  there  beneath  that 
line  of  trees." 

"It  looks  to  me  like  Madame  Elisabeth  or  the 
Princess  de  Lamballe,"  Wiltshire  said,  with  a  laugh, 
"only  that  she's  limping." 

"It's  the  Queen,"  Paula  affirmed,  decidedly.  "You 
can  tell  that  by  her  walk.  She  isn't  limping.  It  only 
seems  so  to  you.  No  one  else  has  that  sort  of  gliding 
carriage,  so  graceful  and,  at  the  same  time,  so  dignified. 
Besides,  she's  alone.  That's  significant  in  itself.  It's 
»3* 


THE  CHANTS  STRENGTH 

only  at  Trianon  that  etiquette  is  siupended  and  the  can 
walk  without  her  suite.  She's  on  her  way  to  the  Ka- 
meau  to  see  the  cows  milked.  There's  nothing  she  en- 
joys so  much,  poor  thing.  She'll  be  here  in  a  minute, 
so  I  think  we'd  better  go  away.  If  you'll  come  home 
with  me,  I'll  give  you  a  cup  of  tea,  and  perhaps  yovi'll 
see  papa.  He's  been  in  Paris  all  day,  but  he  generally 
gets  back  about  this  time." 

Wiltshire  kept  to  himself  the  fact  that  he  had  seen 
papa  already,  and  hoped  that,  if  they  met,  Trafford 
would  do  the  same.  It  was  just  as  well  that  Paula 
should  think  the  meeting  had  come  about  through  the 
special  intervention  of  Providence.  He  turned  when 
she  did,  and  followed  her  down,  through  dim  and  nar- 
row paths,  where  they  could  not  walk  abreast,  towards 
the  open  avenue.  He  found  answers  to  the  many 
questions  she  asked  about  himself,  as  she  led  the  way. 
Where  had  he  come  from?  Where  was  he  going? 
How  had  he  happened  to  drop  down  in  the  middle  of 
the  park  of  the  Petit  Trianon,  of  all  the  odd  places  in 
the  world  ?  But,  as  he  spoke,  he  had  Trafford's  words 
at  luncheon  ringing  in  his  heart:  "Some  sweet  soul 
strayed  out  of  paradise."  That  was  what  she  was. 
He  could  see  exactly  what  her  father  had  meant.  The 
change  in  her  was  difficult  to  define,  but  it  was  very 
visible.  It  would  be  a  vulgarizing  of  its  spiritual  qual- 
ity to  say  that  it  had  made  her  thinner  and  paler,  but 
that  was  the  effect.  "Her  eyes  are  homes  of  silent 
prayer,"  was  the  quoution  he  had  been  making  to 
himself  all  the  rime  she  had  been  chattering  about  the 
235 


tHE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

King's  aunti.    It  wa«  clear  that  her  lelf-poMenion 

wat  but  iuperficial.  and  that  even  the  cheeifubiett  of 

her  conyertation  had  a  forced  note. 
"No  happy  woman  cou'd  look  like  that,"  he  laid  to 

hinueir,  when  once  she  turned  half  round. 

With  a  great  leaping  of  the  heart,  he  wondered  if  he 
could  be  the  cause  of  her  hidden  grief.  Trafford  had 
h<nted  as  much,  and  yet  the  idea  was  too  grotesque. 
She  must  have  known  that  a  sign  from  her  would  have 
brought  him  back  at  any  time.  He  would  have  scouted 
the  very  thought,  had  it  not  offered  a  straw  for  his 
drownmg  hope  to  cling  to.  Besides,  it  was  not  an  un- 
heard-of thing  for  a  beautiful  woman  to  love  an  ugly 
man.  He  could  think  of  several  instances  among  his 
own  acquamtances.  Was  it  possible,  after  all,  that  the 
miracle  had  been  wrought  for  him  i 


lil 


CHAPTER  XXI 

WHEN  they  reached  an  avenue  of  towering  elms, 
touched  already  with  the  yellow  brown  of  au< 
tumn,  Wiltshire  was  able  to  take  his  place  by  her  side. 

"This  is  our  way,"  she  said.  "We  have  a  little  gate 
farther  down  that  leads  into  our  own  grounds.  I'm 
glad  you've  come  out,  because  I  like  showing  my  garden 
to  people  who  haven't  seen  it.  Lady  Alice  was  good 
enough  to  compare  it  to  the  famous  one  at  your  Irish 
place,  but  I  dare  say  she  did  that  only  to  please  me." 

"By-the-way,  you've  heard  from  Alice  lately,  haven't 
you  ?" 

"Yes ;  she  wrote  to  give  me  the  Queen's  kind  mes- 
sage about — about  my  portrait." 

Wiluhire  noticed  the  instant  of  hesitation,  and  ob- 
served her  sharply.  She  continued  to  walk  on,  with 
head  erect,  in  the  resolute  fashion  he  had  already  re- 
marked as  being  new  to  her,  but  no  touch  of  color  came 
into  her  pale  cheek. 

"I  suppose  you  know  that  the  King  was  so  much 
pleased  with  Winship's  picture  of  the  Queen  that  he 
has  made  him  stay  at  Sandringham  to  paint  the  Princess 
Victoria." 

"No ;  I  didn't  know  it.    I'm  so  glad." 
237 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

She  glanced  towards  him,  but  again  he  got  nothing 
from  hit  icnitiny.  It  teemed  to  him,  however,  that  the 
old,  appealmg  look  wat  gone,  and  that  in  itt  place  had 
come  tomething  dettched,  uplifted,  which  cauted  him 
a  sudden  sinking  of  the  heart. 

"I  might  as  well  hope  to  many  an  angel,"  was  the 
thought  that  passed  through  his  mind.     Aloud  he  said : 
Yes;  It  5  a  fine  thing  for  Winship.    Alice  writes  me 
that  omng  to  his  being  kept  so  long  at  Sandringham, 
he  s  had  to  cut  short  the  visit  he  was  going  to  make  at 
Edenbtidge.    She  hopes  to  have  him  for  a  night  or  two, 
but  not  more.    I  believe  he  has  orders  ahead  that  wiU 
keep  him  busy  for  the  next  two  years." 
"I'm  so  glad,"  she  said  again. 
"I  thought  you  would  be,"  he  went  on,  "especially 
after  what  you  said  of  the  family  at  Monte  Carlo.   Do 
you  remember  f " 

"Yes,  perfectly.  I  ought  to  say,  perhaps,  that  I 
found  you  were  right,  and  that  it  wasn't  possible  to  do 
— ^hat  I  thought  of  then." 

"You've  done  a  great  deal  better.  He's  a  made 
man  through— what  shall  I  say?— through  your  co- 
operation." 

"You  mean  the  portrait.  I  viras  only  an  accident  in 
that.  He  would  have  had  t'  -  same  success  with  any- 
body else.    It  was  bound  to  wme." 

"  Perhaps  so ;  and  yet  the  hand  that  lifts  us  up  is  the 
one  to  which  we  must  be  grateful.  We  can't  say  that 
another  would  have  done  as  well." 

If  Paula  betrayed  herself  at  aU,  it  was  then.  She 
238 


THE  OANTS  STRENGTH 

Mopped  in  her  wilk  and  confronted  him.  They  had 
entered  a  dim,  turf-carpeted  avenue,  where  the  aolemn 
aide  of  overhanging  green  stretched  on,  like  that  of  some 
stupendous  church,  to  a  distant  arch  of  sunlight.  The 
•wish  of  a  hedge-trimmer's  sickle  cut  sharply  on  the 
stillness,  and  far  away  they  could  hear  the  rumbling 
of  a  forester's  wain.  In  a  round  opening  in  the  wood 
stood  a  lonely,  noseless,  armless  statue  of  Themistocles, 
the  one  poor,  melancholy  ghost  of  the  jovoua,  by-gone 
centuries. 

"I  want  to  tell  you  something,  Duke,"  Paula  began, 
with  the  forced  self-possession  he  had  already  remarked 
in  her.  "I  should  like  you  to  know  it  before  you  see 
papa.  I  speak  of  it  because— well,  because  of  what  we 
ttlked  about  that  day  at  Monaco.  If  my  father  ever 
owed  Mr.  Winship  anything,  he  doesn't  now." 

"No?" 

"No.  Mr.  Winship  found  the  means  by  which  to 
repay  himself.  It  wasn't  in  money;  it  was  in  some- 
thing else.    Mr.  Winship  wouldn't  take  the  money." 

"Do  you  mean  that  your  father  offered  to—  ?" 

"Yes ;  but  Mr.  Winship  refused." 

"  And  of  coutse  that  hurt  your  father." 

"You'll  see.  That's  one  reason  why  I'm  telling  you. 
Papa  is  very  much  changed;  he's  aged  in  every  way.  I 
want  you  to  be  prepared  for  it." 

"Am  I  to  understand  that  Winship  had  the  power—  ?" 

'  He  had  the  power  to  wound  my  father  deeply,  and 
he  used  it.     I  can't  explain  myself  any  further.     I  only 
want  you  to  know  that  papa  isn't  what  he  used  to  be. 
^39 


THE  GIAhrrs  STRENGTH 


Detr  mamma't  death  ma  •  i.^..  li  • . 

}«t  drop.    They  ^„,  ^  i„  ^.,^^^ 

'uta.  emerging  ,||  of  ,  .udden  into  the  open  co^^ 

with  .  wide  p«»pect  of  field.,  .eaped  and^JeST  «' 

of  the  Pavnion  de  ifReint  ta  J  I^„et  l^fi!;:: 
bu.Idmg  on  the  gmund  wa.  a  .on  of  wudtwlere  M^ri^ 
Leczinska  lued  to  oaint    Tl,.  .._•        l 
modem,  though,?.  S  J^^,'*^      ".*  '""T  "  ''"''' 

In  a  minute  or  two  they  came  out  on  the  lowe«  of 

of  Le  Notre,  leadmg  up  to  the  cheerful  red-brick  faJd^ 
of  a  house  at  once  dignified  and  homelike.     S^ 

it"ht-roTSrc&r^i""^ 

and.ute.yco„tra„tothe  L^^SKrinTit^S 
240 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

where  the  gardeni  merged  into  the  park.  Down  from 
the  centre  of  the  houie  came  a  broad  walk,  itraight  at  a 
ribbon,  descending  from  terrace  to  terrace  by  flighu  of 
marble  itepi.  Each  terrace  had  its  pair  of  fountains, 
of  which  the  two  on  the  middle  plane  were  playing. 
Not  far  behind  the  chateau  the  ground  rose  gently  into 
a  wooded  hill. 

"Charming  I"  Wiltshire  commented,  as  they  stood 
still  for  a  minute  to  look  up  over  the  succenive  stages 
of  blossom  and  verdure.  "  It  does  recall  our  garden  at 
Kilmaurice,  as  Alice  said.  Only  this  is  the  real  thing, 
and  that's  the  imitation." 

"I'm  glad  you  like  it,"  Paula  returned.  "I'm  very 
fond  of  it.  Papa  bought  the  place  only  for  week-ends, 
and  for  entertaining  passing  Americans,  who  like  to  see 
a  bit  of  the  country;  but  we've  come  to  like  it  better  than 
any  of  our  houses.  Ah,  there's  papa  now.  He's  got 
back.  Papa,  dear,"  she  called,  "here's  an  old  friend 
whom  I'm  sure  you'll  be  glad  to  see." 

When  Trafford  turned  from  the  idle  contemplation 
of  a  peacock  spreading  his  tail,  his  face  took  on  slowly 
the  expression  of  admiring  appreciation  it  had  some- 
times  shown  to  his  associates  when  they  had  carried 
through  some  unexpectedly  successful  "deal."  When 
he  laughed  and  clapped  his  hands,  and  called  out 
"Gad  I"  in  a  big.  jovial  voice,  Wiltshire  knew  that  his 
own  prompt  action  had  met  with  approval,  and  that 
Paula  would  hear  nothing  of  the  lunch  at  Henry's  in 
the  morning. 
"It's  done  him  good  to  see  you  already,"  Paula  mur- 
*4i 


THE  ClANTS  STRENGTH 


"nnre^  w  TraSbrf  eanie  down  (o  mw  A.™    l      - 

stay  ."^S  ^  '^"p"r?  •"  '"''"^  Wiltshire  to 

had  Z!   •  \  ^'"  '^""'"  '"•'  *«  •""»ti<»>  that  life 
had  come  .„to  the.r  «mosphe,«  once  more.    iJJ 

24* 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

tlUtv  a.  1,  '^~!,"^'  ?**  '"8hed  with  hi,  old-time 
Cl.^'       ■"    '  *'  ^'""'"  P°'"'»-    He  absorbed 

to  see  that  when  she  left  them  at  the  end  of  dinner 
ne.d.er  of  them  noticed  it.  except  to  rise  a.  she  p'sed 

hI'^1  «;«".'«>^«ver,th..Trafford's  manner  changed. 
.mJ  i  u  """^  ""^dotes.  and  presently,  asTy 
^^f:    K  '''"'  ""'^  '"  P°'"'«=»-     f"-™  Politics  he 

Tl«  for  a"f  "'"'•'"'  '■"'"  '"'""'»»  '°  philanthropy 
Xlien  for  a  few  minutes,  conveisarion  flagged.    mL 

give  away."  ' 


r  money  I  should  like  to 

■•That's  easily  done  as  a  rale,"  Wiltshire  laughed. 
As  a  rule-yes,"  Trafl^ord  went  on,  slowly  "But 
my  "»«  »  a  httle  outside  the  rule.  I  wonder  if  I  couM 
make  you  understand  it^'  IVe  often  thought  th«  if 
ever  I  had  the  chance.  I  should  like  to  Ulkt  om  ^A 
you— confidentially."  " 

^ JOh,  confidentially,  of  course,"  Wiltshire  said,  po- 

in  Z°"  ""*'  ^''"'  ^T  '^"^  »  <'''""  °f  »  '«  of  money. 
lTr""i  °^'"°^."-  ^'"'  eiven  to  charities,  ivj 
pven  to  churches,  I've  given  to  hospitals,  I've  given 
to  orphanages  and  colleges  and  libraries  and  pi«j;^ 
843 


THE  GIAhfTS  STRENGTH 

galleriei,  and  every  other  damned  thing  there  is  to  give 
to.  Now  I  should  like  to  do  something  different  from 
all  that." 

He  paused  to  puff'  nervously  at  his  cigar.  Wiltshire 
waited  for  him  to  go  on. 

"I  don't  have  to  tell  you,"  he  resumed,  "that  I've 
been  what  is  called  a  successful  man.  Well,  to  make 
my  successes  a  good  many  poor  devils  have  had  to  fail. 
I  know  that  I'nl  under  no  obligation  to  consider  them — 
none  whatever.  And  yet,  as  I  grow  old,  I'll  be  hanged 
if  I  don't  think  of  them  a  good  deal.  Perhaps  it's 
nerves,  or  perhaps  it's  nothing  but  the  living  every  day 
with  such  a  creature  as  that  little  girl  of  mine.  What- 
ever the  reason,  there's  the  fact  that  I  should  be  glad 
to  shuffle  back  some  of  this  useless  money  into  the 
hands  of  those  who  used  to— well,  who  need  it  more 
than  I,  at  any  rate." 

"How  would  you  propose  to  do  it  ?"  Wiltshire  asked, 
puffing  quietly. 

"There  you've  got  me.  That's  where  I  don't  see  my 
way.    I  suppose  to  you  it  seems  easy." 

"No;  on  the  contrary,  I  can  quite  understand  that 
it  might  be  a  ticklish  job." 

"It's  infernally  ticklish.  It's  one  of  the  queer  ele- 
ments of  the  situation.  Here  I  am,  a  well-meaning 
man,  with  no  other  longing  than  to  do  good,  and  I'll  be 
hanged  if  I  can.  I  could  give  you  the  names  of  a  dozen 
people — old  enemies,  or  old  enemies'  widows  and  or- 
phans— whom  I  should  be  willing  to  set  up  for  Ufe,  and 
yet  I  doubt  if  they'd  let  me.  You'd  hardly  believe  that." 
244 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Oh  yes,"  Wiltthire  repUed,  diyly.    "A  little  knowl- 
edge of  human  nature  makes  the  thing  dear  enough." 
That's  It.     You've  got  that  knowledge,  and  so  I 
thought  that  you  might  help  me." 
"Oh  I" 

Wiltshire  withdrew  his  cigar  from  his  lips,  and  looked 
round  with  some  astonishment. 

..  !'^  1^""'"  '^^^°''^  explained,  half  apologetically, 
that  If,  in  any  particular  instance,  you  had  the  chance 
to  faciUtate  tise  thing—" 

"Of  course,  of  course.    Were  you  thinking  of  any 

one  especially '"  ' 

"No-no— that  is— I  know  you've  befriended  the 

family   of  that— that   young   Winship— who— who- 

painted  a  portrait—" 

"Quite  so.    We  were  speaking  of  him  at  lunch  this 
morning,  if  you  remember." 

"You  may  not  be  aware  that  his  father  was  an  old 
opponent  of  mine." 
"I  know  the  circumstances  vaguely." 
"Then  I  won't  go  into  them  further  than  to  say  he 
was  the  kind  of  old  feUow  you  couldn't  spare.    I  did 
my  best  to  save  him  and  his  family  from  ruin,  but  when 
they  were  bent  on  running  into  it.  I  had  to  let  them. 
That's  all  over  years  ago.    Now  he  has  this  son  and 
an  old-maid  daughter.    Don't  you  understand,  Wilt- 
shire, that  with  more  money  than  I  kftow  what  to  do 
with-wth  money  of  which  I  could  uke  thiee-fourths 
and  bury  it  in  a  hole  in  the  ground  and  still  remain  a  rich 
nun— don't  you  understand  that  I  should  be  glad—  ?" 
245 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

He  stopped  as  if  searching  for  a  word. 

"I  quite  understand,"  Wiltshire  hastened  to  say, 
"But  isn't  it  the  case  that  Winship  is  getting  beyond 
the  need  of  generosity  of  that  sort  f " 

"No  one  is  beyond  the  need  of  what  he  can  get.  And 
whether  he's  so  or  not,  I  want  the  fellow  to  have  the 
money.  I  want  to  know  that  he's  taken  it.  What  he 
does  with  it  afterwards,  or  what  his  sister  does  with  it, 
won't  matter  a  twopenny  damn  as  far  as  I'm  con- 
cerned ;  but  I  want  to  know  that  they've  had  it.  I'd 
leave  it  on  his  door-step,  I'd  stuff  it  down  his  throat, 
just  for  the  satisfaction  of  getting  rid  of  it." 

He  laughed  grimly,  and  threw  the  stump  of  his  cigar 
on  the  ash-tray. 

"Why  don't  you  tell  him  so?" 

"I've  done  so,"  Trafford  answered,  after  a  moment's 
hesitation.    "He  wouldn't  uke  it." 

"Then  what  would  you  expect  me  to  do?" 

"Do  ?  Do  anjrthing,  so  long  as  they  take  the  money. 
I  don't  care  a  jot  about  their  knowing  it's  from  me. 
I'll  give  you  a  million  dollars — two  hundred  thousand 
pounds — to  juggle  into  their  pockets  by  any  tale  you 
can  invent.  Gad  1  when  I  think  how  easy  it's  been  to 
make  money,  it  seems  Uke  the  irony  of  the  very  Lord 
above  to  find  it  so  difficult  to  throw  it  avray." 

There  were  several  pertinent  remarks  in  Wiltshire's 
mind,  bat  he  withheld  them.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he 
was  slightly  appalled  by  the  lifting  of  this  comer  of  the 
veil  on  the  rich  man's  conscience.  From  the  beginning 
of  their  acquaintance  he  had  been  interested  in  Traf- 
146 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
ford,  ai  the  type  of  American  success,  while  he  had  been 

tTJ°^"^u^  '  "?'"  '''8"«"  "d  gene^sitjr 
Tiafford.  character;  but  he  shrank  from  conta« 
^th  the  details  of  his  business  career,  with  the  disuste 
of  the  hereditajy  grand  seigneur.  It  was  a  relief  to  him 
when  Trafford  rose,  and,  assuming  another  tone,  af- 
fected  to  take  the  matter  lightly.  He  himself  tried  to 
do  the  same. 

"Winship  is  as  pig-headed  a  chap  as  was  ever  driven 
to  market,  he  sa.d.  as  they  went  towards  the  drawing, 
room,  but  1  know  h.m  pretiy  well,  and,  if  it's  any 
•ervice  to  you,  I'll  tiy  to  influence  him  for  hi.  good." 


CHAPTER  XXn 

THE  appearance  in  the  Ntw  Tork  Magaxine  of 
the  famous  series  of  articles,  in  which  the  history 
and  methods  of  the  Vermont  Mining  Company  were 
exposed,  had  a  clarifying  effect  on  Paula's  chaotic 
thought.  Till  then  she  had  not  been  without  the  per- 
sistent  hope  that  some  way  of  reconciliation  might  be 
found  between  Winship  and  her  father.  "Roger  loves 
me,"  she  argued  to  herself,  in  the  first  days  of  the 
separation.  "He'U  come  back,  and  take  the  money, 
for  my  sake."  But  when  she  had  read  to  a  close  the 
first  of  the  articles  that  fell  under  her  notice,  she  had 
none  of  that  hope  left.  "He'll  not  take  it,"  she  said 
to  herself  then.  "No  man  who  knew  this  could." 
As  she  made  the  reflection,  there  floated  through  her 
mind  Lovelace's  couplet: 

"/  had  not  loved  thee,  dear,  so  much. 
Loved  I  not  honor  more." 

The  lines  brought  her  a  vague  consolation.  She  re- 
peated  them  often  after  that.  They  seemed  to  justify 
Winship  for  what  had  appeared  to  her  like  cruelty. 

That  was  in  July.  She  had  picked  up  the  cuimit 
248 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

newwtand.  not  .uspecting  th«  it  could  conum  any. 
thing  of.pecul  interest  to  herself.    She  learned  from 

March  and  ordered  all  the  number,  to  be  sent  to  her. 
ihe  first  instalment  dealt,  among  other  thines  with 

dtaK  twl  '?'rt '--'r.  and  contSmTny 
detail,  of  which  Paula  herself  had  U«le  knowledgi^ 

Wilham  Tnifford  had  been  a  laborer  at  Cannoct 
Cha^  in  Staffordshire.  He  married  ,  girf  „a™5 
£?r  dLld  ^  ""^J  "^  •■"'  '  '"^  familyf  seve^aTof 
?av  tT„  t"  ff  r'^u™"'"  "  ^""""^  Chase  t,v 
Amenca  about  the  year  1833.  He  settled  as  a  farmer 
near  Cumberland.  Vermont,  wher«  he  married  Je™L 

J|J-.  Murray,  a  coal  merchant  in  the  neighboring 
rJT  ""u  i"^'  '^"^°'"*  ^^  *ri%.  industrious 

uX  ^  ,'"''"  """I™"*  <■"""  '^^  British  We^. 
Se  tiV  !!^  "  '^  'r""  "  '^*«'  *'r  were  eager  to 
fr^t  k'^'*^^"  *'  ^  educational  advantag^  the 
ne^hborhood  afforded.    These  wer«  exhauster  ap! 

b^  «-tb\  ^^'"^'^•"''"''^•^"drewremain- 
lnl!^  'i"  °"  *"  '■»™'  ''hile  Paul  found 
««Vlarment  a.  office-boy.  with  Julius  Murray,  in  the 


THE  CaANTS  STRENGTH 

From  that  point  the  biography  dealt  chiefly  with  the 
younger  of  the  two.    It  recounted  in  detail  Paul'g  lint 
bit  of  busineu  intpiration,  in  which  the  boy  showed 
hinwelf  as  father  to  the  man.    A  letter  from  Peter 
OMara,  his  mother's  brother,  who  worked  in  the 
Dundee  Mines,  in  Pennsylvania,  had  hinted  at  one  of 
thtwe  early  difficulties  between  miner  and  employer 
which  were  afterwards  organized  into  strikes.    Julius 
Murray  told,  during  all  the  rest  of  his  life,  how  Paul 
had  rushed  into  his  office  breathless  with  the  news. 
He  was  fond  of  describing  the  lad,  as  he  stood  there, 
•traight  and  erect,  in  all  the  dignity  of  his  thirteen 
years,  his  hands  behind  his  back,  and  his  blue  eyes 
flashing.    "Wouldn't  it  be  well,  Mr.  Murray,  to  buy 
up  all  the  Dundee  coal  you  can  get  between  to-day  and 
to-morrow  t    By  the  day  after  that  everybody  else  will 
know  the  news  as  well  as  we."    Julius  Murray,  un- 
accustomed  to  wisdom  from  the  mouth  of  babes  and 
iucklings,  laughed   at   the   boy's    ardor   and   pooh- 
poohed  his  advice.    When  he  awjke  new  day  to  the 
fact  that  he  was  letting  a  great  opportunity  slip  b} ,  he 
had  only  twenty-four  hours  in  which  to  do  the  work  of 
forty-eight    The  money  he  made  when,  in  the  follow- 
ing winter,  Dundee  coal  went  up  to  the  price,  unheard 
of  in  those  days,  of  eleven  dollars  a  ton,  was  that  which 
gave  Miss  Julia  Murray  the  ciaira  to  be  considered  an 
heiress  when  she  eloped  with  Paul  Traffbrd  in  1870. 

In  subsequent  numbers  Paula  read  the  histoiy  of  the 
Trafford  rise,  step  by  step,  scheme  by  scheme,  million 
by  million,  lawsuit  by  lawsuit,  fight  by  fight— a  great, 
250 


TWE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

commercial,  le«l  TliricT  */  '  ''''°'*  ~""*«y'« 
painfully  imo  $iS^^*''  '"-^  '"»-'  honor  brought 

banker,,  merchant..  capiulTr  Ul  P'»J^»«'ye". 
governor,.  e„ginee;.^^u3t.  'Td  °T'  •"""'"•• 
every8ort-that.he^       r     ':.  Pohtiaan.   of 

Chicago.  „«,.  «  Wlln^n^nt"  ^TT'  -""^  " 
to  New  York-that  h,r  S.^  VI  ^^  ^""'  ""^ 
the  action.    TW  wereT  "^  "°' ''~P  P'«  '«»» 

legal,  legislative  ^J^-  ^       7  '''"^*^°"'  mvolved- 

Where  th^^^  '"  *"  '"^"^  *°  "ndemand. 

gn^TthX^JtrX  nTr  '"« 
story  ofthe  ruin  of  ,1,.W-  u^'  .  ^""^  '""ovr  the 
She^couM  dnSellSl^"^'''?'  ^"""  "^^inning  to  end. 
Turtonvill.  "of'^n^J-*  *- °J  "•»  Mar.hall..  of 
Jackson,  of  Ohio.    BuTlheAer  d«'7'  ""•  1  ^ 

rearedr.ui2t::firfc^;:^^ 

fatherandhraiatL  in     '"'"""  "'*  ''^''^  ^" 
»Moaates,  in  a  country  considered  free 

251 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


had  been  able  to  club  and  crush  and  gag  and  grind  into 
helplessnesf  whatever  lifted  itself  against  them.  And 
he  was  her  father  I  She  was  his  child !  She  was  bone 
of  his  bone  and  flesh  of  his  flesh.  She  could  no  more 
dissociate  herself  from  him  and  his  work  than  she  could 
from  the  line  of  laborers  and  servants  from  whom  she 
sprang.  However  confused  she  might  be  about  facts, 
she  had  no  doubt  as  to  her  duty  here:  it  was  to  stand  by 
the  man  who  depended  upon  her;  to  stand  by  him  all 
the  more  now,  when,  in  his  old  age,  the  storm  of  popular 
wrath  was  gathering  and  breaking  about  him. 

All  through  July,  August,  and  September  she  had 
been  reading  these  articles  secretly.  That  her  father 
was  reading  them  secretly,  too,  she  knew  from  seeing 
in  the  New  York  Herali  or  the  Ttnus  an  occasional 
statement  from  his  legal  representatives,  in  which  this 
or  that  accusation  was  denied.  How  deeply  he  re- 
sented this  history  of  himself  she  could  see  from  his 
increased  depression  as  each  new  number  of  the  series 
appeared.  Now,  on  one  of  the  last  days  of  September, 
the  October  issue  was  in  her  hands. 

She  had  just  finished  reading  it,  in  her  favorite  comer 
of  the  English  garden.  It  had  been  especially  pitiless 
to  her  father  in  the  piling  up  of  charges  against  him. 
She  closed  the  volume,  and  with  hands  clasped  upon  it 
gazed  vaguely  across  the  lawn,  indifferent  to  its  sunlit 
spaces,  as  well  as  to  the  masses  of  dahlia  and  caniu, 
gorgeous  with  autumn  bloom. 

"No,  no,"  she  kept  saying  to  herself,  "Roger  couldn't 
uke  that  money.  It's  blood -money.  And  I  must 
252 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

keep  it.  Theie'i  no  wiy  by  which  I  could  give  it  up. 
If  I  did,  it  would  kill  papa.  I  mutt  go  on,  all  my  life 
clothed  in  the  ruin  of  beggared  men  and  of  hungiy 
women  and  children.  Roger  <aid  that,  and  it's  quite 
true.  My  pearls  are  their  tean  and  my  rubie*  are 
their  iweat  of  blood.  And  yet  I  must  wear  them,  for 
papa's  sake,  whatever  the  world  may  think,  whatever 
Roger  himself  may  believe  of  me.  O  Roger!  O  my 
lovel  How  can  I  go  on  all  through  the  years  without 
you?  Oh,  God  help  mel"  she  prayed,  with  a  sudden 
lifting  of  her  eyes.  "Oh,  God,  help  mel  I'm  so  weak. 
I'm  so  tired.  I've  so  little  strength  left  to  keep  the 
struggle  up." 

Her  breath  came  in  hard  gasps,  the  tears  blinded  her. 
She  had  just  time  to  control  herself,  and  dash  her  hand 
across  her  eyes,  as  she  saw  Wiluhire  coming  towards 
her  through  the  trees. 

She  was  not  surprised.  She  knew  he  would  be  look- 
ing for  her  somewhere  in  the  grounds.  During  the 
week  after  their  first  meeting,  he  had  come  every  second 
day  to  the  Pavilion  de  la  Reine.  During  the  week  after 
that,  his  visits  had  been  daily.  In  the  third  week, 
Trafford  had  invited  him  to  move  out  to  Versailles  and 
become  their  guest. 

To  this  arrangement  Paula  had  given  the  welcome  of 
acquiescence.  Though  she  was  aware  of  what  her 
fadier  meant,  she  was  sensible,  too,  of  the  relief  which 
Wiltshire's  presence  brought  into  the  tension  of  their 
daily  life.  Whenever  he  was  with  them  there  was  a 
return  to  something  like  the  old-time  happiness.  Her 
*53 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

father  teemed  to  grow  younger  in  kii  lociety,  and  the 
heneir  drew  comfort  from  the  knowledge  that  diia  good 
man't  lupport  was  near.  She  could  not  bear  to  check 
hii  gentle,  tenutive  advance*;  itiU  lei*  could  ihe  bear 
to  give  back  cold  refusal  to  the  lilent  pleading  in  her 
father's  eyes. 

Little  by  little  the  began  to  tee  all  that  thit  marriage 
would  mean  to  him.    It  would  be  more  now  than  any^ 
thing  he  had  taid  when  he  had  first  spoken  of  it,  months 
ago.    Then  the  advanuget  of  protection  and  position 
were  to  be  for  her;  now  the  could  tee  that  he  wat  not 
without  need  of  them  himtelf.    It  gave  her  a  feeling 
that  the  foundations  of  the  earth  were  loosened  to  think 
that  he,  whom  she  had  looked  upon  as  almost  omnipo- 
tent,  should  require  aid.    But  there  was  no  doubt  that 
his  position  in  the  world  was  shaken— as  much  so  at  his 
moral  courage  or  his  bodily  frame.    The  strong,  re- 
sourceful, self-dependent  man  had  reached  the  moment 
when  he  was  beginning  to  hold  out  his  hands  for  help. 
It  wat  help  which  the  could  give  him  only  to  the  ex- 
tent of  her  love  and  tenderness.    These  she  could  still 
offer  to  the  father.when  she  had  nothing  for  the  financier. 
From  the  clamor  of  his  countrymen  against  him'  she 
would  gladly  have  transported  him  into  another  world, 
where  all  attack  would  be  powerless.    She  remembered 
suddenly  that  it  was  what  he  had  wanted  to  do  for  her, 
when  he  had  been  eager  to  see  her  become  Wiltshire's 
wife.    The  reflection  struck  her  like  a  blow,  but  she 
did  her  best  to  remain  firm  and  calm  beneath  the  weight 
of  it    The  other  world  for  her,  she  argued,  would  be 
as* 


'  J  any 

tou. - 
ning 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

the  other  woria  for  him.    That  wat  dear.    'V.hWilt- 
•hire  M  a  ton  to  him,  he  would  have  .m  al  -  ,..S„. 
•mngth  It  would  be  hard  to  overeitimatf      E'.;  (ud     , 
•kdl  m  calculation,  and  little "knowle.*.      ,f  he  w»,l,i 
and  yet  the  could  not  be  unaware  thar  a.,  ',  ,^l„r  dui..' 
nch,  powerful,  highly  placed,  and  fu.'I  y*  go  ;.*:,I  ,  ,j 
lympathy,  could  not  be  other  than  a,.  bVc  f,  c  iJ 
man  with  needs  and  ambitioni  like  hei  fat'      s 
So  the  days  at  Versailles  were  slipping  by  wir' 

m  Trafford  s,  while  m  her  own  she  was  searching  for 
strength  to  make  the  sacrifice. 

As  Wiltshire  drew  near,  his  increased  confidence  was 
expressed  m  his  eyes,  his  smile,  his  attitude,  and  the 
very  tones  of  his  voice.  It  was  not  until  he  had  drawn 
a  wicker  chair  near  to  hers  that  he  noticed  the  emo- 
tuM  She  had  been  unable  to  conceal. 
''You've  been  crying,"  he  exclaimed. 
Not  quite,"  she  said,  trying  to  smile  at  him  through 
the  mist  of  her  tears.    "I've  been  reading  this." 

She  held  up  the  magazine,  at  which  Wiltshire  looked 
with  a  certain  air  of  embarrassment. 

"You  know  what's  in  it."  she  went  on,  a.  he  said 
nodiing.    "You've  read  it,  too." 

'•I  hope  you  don't  let  these  things  distress  you."  he 
said,  after  a  minute's  hesitation. 

"If  they  were  said  of  your  father,  wouldn't  they  dis- 
tress  you? 

from  hl^^hlii:""^'  '"'  '""  *'  ""«"^'  <^''y 
»55 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"It'«  always  well  to  remember,"  he  laid,  in  a  kindly 
voice,  "that  one  story  is  true  till  another  is  told.  It's 
perfectly  astonishing  how  many  different  versions  you 
can  get  of  what  seems  like  one  plain,  unvarnished 
tale."     . 

"Oh  yes;  like  the  'Ring  and  the  Book,'  for  instance. 
But  this,"  she  continued,  with  a  little  break  in  the  voice 
— "this  doesn't  seem  to  me  the  same  sort  of  thing. 
There  you  have  different  points  of  view,  and  here  it's 
a  succession  of  facts." 

"Facts  are  to  the  writer  what  objects  are  to  the 
painter.  He  produces  different  impressions  as  he 
presents  them  in  different  lights.  The  writer  of  these 
articles  has  chosen  the  atmosphere  which  will  be  i  !0«t 
unfavorable  to  your  father.  Some  one  else  might  treat 
the  very  same  incidents  in  a  way  which  would  give  you 
quite  another  effect." 

"Qjuld  any  one  treat  them  in  a  way  that  would  prove 
that — that  everything  was  right  ?" 

"Suppose  they  couldn't,"  he  reasoned,  gently;  "even 
so,  we've  one  important  condition  to  remember,  and 
that  is  the  imperfect  conception  of  honor  that  exists 
in  the  financial  world." 

"I  don't  see  why  that  should  make  any  diffei«nce," 
she  declared,  with  a  touch  of  honest  indignation. 

"It  does  in  this  way,  that  it's  very  hard  for  any  but 
the  highest  moral  natures  to  be  superior  to  the  sur- 
roundings in  which  they  live.  That  is,  it's  a  phase 
of  the  much-discussed  question  of  environment.  It's 
even  more  than  that.  It's  a  phase  of  the  far  larger 
256 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

question  of  the  standard  of  rectitude  by  which  the 
human  race  chooses  to  measure  its  public  conduct 
No  one  can  deny  the  fact  that  it's  far  from  an  ideal  one" 
Wh.le  we  accept  in  theory  the  principles  of  honor  and 
honesty  and  fair  dealing  and  truth,  we  have  recognized 
systems  of  not  living  up  to  them.  Some  of  our  most 
respected  msututions  would  have  to  be  made  aU  over 
agam,  -f  we  were  to  put  forth  any  pretension  to  follow 
the  Golden  Rule  of  Christ." 

The  tiny  furrow  deepened  between  her  brows,  and 
she  regarded  h.m  with  the  expression  of  perplexity  he 
had  not  seen  for  so  many  months.     She  was  trying  to 
understand  the  strange  method  by  which  men  regulated 
their  affairs,  and  of  which  even  Wiltshire  spoke  with 
tolerance. 
"What  institutions,  for  example  ?" 
"Well— take  the  governments  of  the  world  as  an  il- 
lustration.   They're  fairly  good  governments,  on  the 
whole-most  of  them.    And  yet  practically  all  are  in- 
spired by  an  insatiable  greed,  and  the  most  ferocious 
determination  tj  make  one  country's  gain  out  of  an- 
other country  s  loss.     It's  not  much  of  an  exaggeration 
to  say  that  envy,  hatred,  and  malice  are  the  normal 
sentiments  of  every  nation  towards  every  other     You 
can  t  open  a  newspaper,  even  in  the  most  piping  times 
of  peace,  without  seeing  that  the  growling  of  cabinets 
at  each  other  in  London.  Paris.  Beriin.  St.  Petersburg. 
Washington.  Vienna.  Tokio,  and  Rome,  is  as  savaee 
and  incessant  a,  that  of  a  team  of  Esquimaux  do«. 
We  have  a  whole  honored  profession  whose  duties  are 
257 


!!i 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

in  the  field  of  hoodwinking,  half-truths,  >nd  eva«on. 
We  dress  it  up  in  gold  lace  and  a  cocked  hat,  and  give 
It  a  high  place  in  our  society.  We  have  another  pto- 
fession.  of  which  the  work  is  to  shed  blood  and  wreck 
homes  and  spread  ruin.  We  give  it  a  sword  and  a 
uniform,  and  call  it  noble.  Now.  I  cite  these  merely 
as  exaniples  of  the  way  in  which  mankind  contents  it- 
self with  a  defective  moral  standard.  It's  difficult  to 
blame  the  soldi«  if  he  kills,  or  the  diplomat  if  he  equivo- 
cates,  or  the  statesman  if  he  crushes  another  people  to 
aggrandize  his  own.  It's  what's  expected.  It's  the 
way  the  world  acts." 

"I  don't  see  that  that  makes  it  any  better,"  she  ar- 
gued, with  feminine  dislike  of  compromise. 

"It  doesn't  make  the  act  any  better,  perhaps,  but  it 
helps  us  to  understand  the  agent.  Few  people  question, 
few  people  are  able  to  question,  the  moral  conditions 
Aey  find  around  them.  They  accept  them  and  live  in 
them.  And, '  he  added,  significantly,  "most  men  en- 
gaged m  finanaal  affairs  do  like  the  others." 
"You  mean  that  they  conform  to  a  low  standard." 
I  m  afraid  that's  what  I  have  to  mean." 

. .  '?^li  "'"'"y^  *''°"8'"  my  f»*er's  standard  was  so 
high.  That  s  what  hurts  me.  Oh,  Duke,  don't  think 
that  I  m  blaming  him,  or  trying  to  argue  against  him. 
I  oughtnt  to  talk  of  it  at  all,  perhaps.  But  I'm  so 
veiy  unhappy,  and  I've  no  one  in  the  worM  to  speak  to 
as  I  can  to  you."  ' 

"I  like  you  to  speak  to  me  about  it.    It's  possible 
that  I  can  help  you.    And  in  any  case  I  know  that  you 
258 


THE  OAm-S  STRENGTH 

could  never  harbor  a  disloyal  thougjit  towards  any  one 

in  the  world— and  least  of  all  towards  him." 

•'You  see,"  she  stammered,  "it's  all  so-so  ignoble." 

Doesn't  it  give  it  a  somewhat  different  aspect  when 

you  consider  that  it's  probably  not  more  ignoble  than 

what  s  going  on  in  eight  business  houses  out  of  ten,  in 

London.  Paris,  New  York,  and  every  other  great  city 

in  the  world  ?"  ' 

"I  don't  see  that  a  wrong  thing  becomes  less  wrong 

because  a  great  many  people  do  it." 

"Perhaps  not;  and  yet  if  we  know  that  public  opinion 
IS  wrong  It  helps  us  to  make  allowances  for  the  in- 
dividuals  who  are  governed  by  it.    And  that's  what  I 
Msert  about  the  commercial  and  financial  worlds— 
their  moral  tone  is  defective;  their  conception  of  honesty 
IS  imperfect.    The  so-called  revelations  made,  let  us 
say,  by  the  Cronier  tragedy  in  Paris,  and  the  Insurance 
scandals   m   New  York,   are   not   revelations   at  all. 
Every  one  who  has  much  to  do  with  business  knows 
that  to  make  money  by  hook  or  by  crook,  but  to  make 
it  somehow,  is  the  one  law  of  the  game.    The  people 
who  are  shocked  are  chiefly  the  people  who  haven't 
made  it.    And  that's  the  sort  of  virtuous  indignation  I 
find  in  these  articles  about  your  father.     I've  read  them 
carefully,  over  the  lines  and  between  the  lines,  and  for 
one  word  against  his  methods  I  find  twenty  against 
his  success.    You  see.  Paula-I  may  call  you  Paula, 
mayn  t  I  ?" 
'•If  you  like,"  she  murmured,  letting  her  eyes  drop. 
You  see— Paula— that  you  and  I,  whose  ideas  are 
259 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

I  know  you  want  to  comfort  me-" 

said  vJr'''  ''!fll°  t°  """"  """  ^'"fo"  you."  he 
said  with  a  suddm  change  of  tone.  -^  ' 

b^ck-J'  ^^  ^  ~"''*  °°'y  «""•  »  '»y  to  give  it 

"Paula,  let  me  say  something.    Perhaos  I'm  J„;„- 

know  I  d  begun  to  hope  again  ?    No.  don't  speak     Tm 

«nce  then  that  perha„s  I  L.     ^     '"°''  *""  """^ 
Oh.  but  you  couldn't  have!" 

360 


THE  GLWrs  STRENGTH 

It'»  my  trouble,  too.    It  couldn't  be  more  my  own.  if  I 
wa»— your  father's  son." 

Paula  gave  a  little  start.  The  words  were  so  exactly 
u  "f  \""  °f  ••"  °^  bought  that  they  sounded  to 
her  like  the  summons  of  destiny.  While  she  sat  out- 
wardly composed-pale,  still,  with  hands  clasped  and 
eyes  downcast,  her  heart  was  calling  its  last  drown- 
ing  farewells  before  going  down  into  the  sea  of  sac- 
nnc^. 

"It's  coming  now,"  she  was  saying  to  herself.  "I 
cant  help  it.  I  can't  cling  any  longer.  I  must  let  go. 
Oh,  Roger,  good-bye!"  * 

"And  since  the  trouble  is  not  only  yours  but  mine," 
Wi  tshire  went  on,  tenderly,  "why  couldn't  I  bear  it 
with  you  ?" 
"I  don't  think  anybody  could." 
"Nobody  could  but  I.     I  could.     I  could  take  you 
and  shelter  you,  and  hedge  you  all  round  with  so  much 
protection,  that  this  great  question,  so  insistent  in  your 
life  now,  would  pass  into  the  second  plane." 
She  lifted  her  eyes  in  interrogation. 
"This  is  what  I  mean,"  he  pursued,  quietly.    "To 
my  wife  even  such  a  great  acquisition  of  wealth  as  you 
might  receive  from  your   father   could  make  no  ex- 
ternal difference.     It  would  increase  her  actual  pos- 
sessions, but  it  would  add  nothing  to  her  outward  train 
ot  life.     From  the  mere  necessities  of  her  position,  that 
would  already  be  as  sumptuous  and  splendid  as  it's 
nght  for  any  one's  life  to  be.    Whatever  came  in  ad- 
dition would  be  a  mere  pouring  of  the  Pacific  into  the 
261 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Atlintic.   You  won't  think  that  I'm  tpeakinx  in  ynlear 

"Oh  no." 

"I'm  only  itating  the  facts  as  they  are.    Don't  you 
»ee,  then,  what  I  mean  ?    If  y    •  were  my  wife,  all  this 
money  could  come  to  you,  au-l  you  could  use  it  as  you 
chose.    No  one  would  know,  not  even  your  father, 
that  you  didn't  spend  it  on  yourself    You  could  give 
It  away  to  the  last  farthing.    You  could  do  more  than 
that.     I  know  that  your  aim  would  be  not  merely  to  give 
the  money  away,  hut,  as  far  as  possible,  to  give  it  back 
to  the  people  who  used  to  own  it.     I  would  help  you 
m  that.    We  should  make  it  our  life's  work.    It  would 
be  a  difficult  task,  and  I  don't  know  how  far  we  should 
be  successful,  but  at  least  we  could  try  it.     Here,  in 
these  pages,"  he  went  on,  tapping  the  cover  of  the 
magazine,  "there  is  mention  made  of  hundreds  of 
fcmilies.     We  could  hunt  them  up  and  see  what  we 
could  do.    We  should  have  to  work  discreetly,  cau- 
tiously, secretly,  perhaps,  and  safeguard  in  every  way 
the  honor  of  your  father's  name.     But  we  could  do 
our  best;  and  even  if  we  only  succeeded  once  it  would 
be  worth  the  trying.    Wouldn't  it  mean  something  to 
you  just  to  be  making  the  attempt  f" 

"How  good  you  are!  How  well  you  understand!" 
"I  do  undersund,  Paula,  dear.  That's  my  one  jus- 
tification for  offering  you  a  sort  of  bribe.  And  yet, 
God  knows,  I  don't  mean  it  as  a  bribe.  It's  only  the 
eagerness  of  my  love  to  protect  you  from  everything 
that  could  hurt  you  or  make  you  unhappy.  When  the 
36a 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
g^  «f  old  ,aw  those  they  loved  in  trouble  or  danger. 

away.moaplaceof,afetjr.  And  that',  what  I  want  to 
do  for  j^.  Paula.  I  can  do  it.  if  youll  let  me.  l^en 
I  .ee  you  .n  d,e  m,d«  of  thi.  huge,  unworthy  battle! 
Im  .„  terror  lest  some  of  it.  arrow,  may  wound  you 
But  a.  my  w,fe  you'd  be  safe-that  is.  L  «rfe  JZ 
^nhly  condmon.  can  make  you.  I  won't  force  t^e 
y^  lorrel'*^""  ""•     ^-"•'"'^  you  again  if 

you'2:  a^wa;;-'"'  ''~''  '"'  ''"'""''^«'^'  "'  '°  '"- 

qu'i'cS"  -r"''  ""^  ^°"  "''«  "'«  ^»y  "'"  ^  »aid, 
contem:-         ^°"  ""  "'^  "  '""'^''  "  "»'•  ^  »»»»  i^^ 

herTanV,"!!""''  "i*^"  !'"''  P""*"" '"  "''"<*.  •>»  'oolc 
her  hand  and  raised  .t  to  his  lip..     Leaning  back  with 

Kdri::;\:re7H^'^-"«-"'^^-'>^p 


CHAPTER  XXin 

'THERE  ^re  .eveni  :,,^  for  k^pi„g  ,he  fact 
.  1  of  Paula',  engagement  to  the  Duke  of  Witohi™ 
a  temporaiy  «cret  from  the  outside  world.  TrafFord 
hm»elf  wa.  r.«,ving  only  too  much  publicity  at  the 
ttme  and  he  shrank  from  .eeing  hi,  daugh  J,  nam^ 
bn,u^t  prominently  into  the  American  pre«,  "H 

the  wedding  was  to  take  place  in  Janua^r.  it  wa.  de- 
oded  that  ,t  would  be  «»„  enough  after  ChriZat 
let  the  information  get  abroad. 

tI^Z  ''r'''  "'^^  ^""^  between  Wiltshire  and 
Trafford  a  one.  Paula  acquie.ced  with  a  ,ubmi«ion 
which  barely  concealed  her  listlessness.  The  two^ 
^e  themselves  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  their  happi- 

of^cTtr  °'''l""'"'™«y-  Th«y  •"=•<!«  confidant, 
of  each  other,  and  di«:ussed  their  lespectiv.  hopes  far 
into  every  mght  Paula  wa,  posed  likVTgoddrin  , 
.hnne.  while  they  found  mutual  delight  in  sinrinj 
hymn,  and  weaving  garlands  in  her  praise.  T^ey 
t?l!"     1:  '"t  ^"^  ^'^  '^  »«"'=«  °f  the  temple 

at  them,  and  conKnted  to  all  their  arrangement.,  they 
364 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


the  Jrjt  .hock  ofXi^^l'"'  ^""'""  '-'•-^ 

I  don't  beUevc  I  .houid  havl  kno^l'T.'"  "•«  "««. 

waltro^rntl™:!^  *.•  ''r ''""  *'  '-r 
of  their  phnrfor  iTdr  -'Vl' "  °^  ''"™-  ^"""d 
ing  of  P,r«LS„.  ,„d°" '"  '""'"■•"'y.  with  the  open- 

Duches.  at  a^™I  Court  tl  ''t!!:'"^""  °^  *'  "- 
would  be  better  when  .h?  .  "°  ''°"'«  «''«  »»•« 

ness  of  putting  intVpraSL  ""'"V"  ""  "8^^" 
tution  they  ha^d  planed  ^"  ''''''""  "^  "*«- 

.hJ™"efoVth:  "z  ti'f  "^r  *'"'^'"«  °- 

He  had  done  notL^TAa^^  "*''  "P""  ^'"'Wp. 
ford  had  referred  toltlt  or"*!'  "  ^"'  "'°''«''  '^"'■- 
shire  had  made  h,m  ^e  K  "  "  \P"""''"  ^'■''- 
"Pugnant  at  firwTean^  K       "'"  "^''^  '""'  •>«" 

to  hS:  when  hTSgh  tof'theT  ''v '"""'''' 
would  give  Paula  pleasure  his  success 

ga^Sf  faViTnTol';"""  "'T'"''  ■-"-  - 
the  situation  ^l::t  IT^^'^'^J^Tl  °^ 
-actuation  was  clear  to  hi:f:::Xe?oLtg 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

guarded  in  her  wordi  and  attitude,  whenever  hii  name 
wa.  mentioned.  The  young  man  had  faUen  in  love  with 
her.  he  thought,  and  had  aaked  her  to  be  hii  wife.  She 
had  reaented  rhe  liberty,  while,  woman-like,  she  had 
condoned  the  offence.  The  opportunity  had  been 
taken  to  offer  him  the  money  Trafford  was  lo  eager 
to  get  off  hi»  conacience,  and  Winihip  had  refuaed  the 
propoaal,  a*  an  outrage  to  hii  dignity. 

The  more  Wiltshire  reflected,  the  more  exactly  did 
thia  version  seem  to  (it  the  facts  of  the  case.  The  ele- 
ments it  presented  were  not  veiy  difficult  for  a  man  of 
•  the  world  to  deal  with;  and  so,  on  a  bright  afternoon 
in  January,  he  set  out  for  the  studio  in  the  Passage  de 
la  Narivite.  If  he  could  come  back  with  the  news  that 
the  victory  had  been  won,  he  knew  that  to  Paula  the 
tidings  would  be  more  precious  as  a  gift  than  all  the 
jewels  he  could  offer  her. 

And  yet,  when  face  to  face  with  the  artist  in  the 
ateUer,  Wiltshire  found  the  subject  less  easy  to  intro- 
duce than  he  had  expected.  Like  the  other  actors  in  the 
drama,  Wmship,  too,  had  changed  much  during  the 
passage  of  a  twelvemonth.  With  the  exception  of  a 
few  mmutes  on  two  occasions  at  Monte  Carlo  in  the 
previous  winter,  the  Duke  had  seen  nothing  of  Winship 
for  several  yean.  He  sriU  thought  of  him  as  "Alice's 
protege,"  a  clever,  hard-woncing.  immature  young  man, 
to  whom  he  could  speak  wi ;Jj  a  certain  amount  of 
authority.  It  disturbed  his  ideas  at  the  outset  to  dis- 
cover that  time,  assurance,  and  success  had  evdved 
a  personage  quite  different  from  that  which  he  had 
266 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

w«h  which  the  patron  alway.  «et  that  hi.  aubordinate 
w«uld  have  b^  the  last  per«,„  i„  Ae  world  «,  lec^ 

himKemedtoUckreapect.    The  matter<,fUou«e  ho.- 
p..ahty  w«h  which  he  offe«d  him  .„  extremelTe^ 

Sr"^T^?^*'  """  ''^  '•"  nude  m^ 

detenmned  manner  were  ,o  much  at  variance  with  the 

mLtl'Vi"^'  '"''  °^"'8'«  °'  ""  y""  »g°  that 
Wiltshire  found  hi.  .en«  of  annoyance  deepening  a. 

die  conversation  passed  from  one  topic  to  another.    He 

k«ew  at  la.t  that  if  the  object  of  his  errand  were  to  be 

attamed,  it  must  be  by  diving  into  the  subject  brusque- 

ly.  and  so  he  tried  to  jerk  himself  back  into  the  manner 
ofapeaking  that  would  have  been  natural  with  "Alice', 
ptote^     on  one  of  hi.  annual  visits  to  Edenbridge, 

"I  My.  Winship,"  he  began,  suddenly.  "I've  looked 
in  on  you  to  offer  you  some  advice." 

easii?'"V''"^ '''"?  °^^°"'  °"''''"  W'"»'''P  '""tned, 
easily.  I  m  sure  I  must  need  it.  when  you  put  your- 
KlftOK>  much  trouble."  r     /  »« 

word  at  one  time  or  another  in  our  lives." 

g  ve  wanted  it  many  a  time,  when  I  didn't  get  it," 
Wijslup^Uughed,  "and  so  I'm  ,U  the  more  ^te'^u, 

267 


MIWOCOTY   «ESOlUTK5N   ItST  CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TESr  CHART  No,  2) 


1.0    llfcs  I 


2J 


1^ 


la 

1.8 


^1^1^ 


^  ^IPPUED  IIVHGE     I 

^=^  i«53   Eosl   Uorn   St^j;; 

=•■;=  <"')   «2-0M0-PKon.  "^ 

^^  (716)   288-5989  -Ft,, 


THE  GLWrS  STRENGTH 

There  was  a  minute's  hesitation,  during  which  Wilt- 
shire  flicked  the  ashes  from  the  end  of  his  cigar  with 
his  httle  finger.  He  seemed  to  be  quite  absorbed  in 
that  operation,  while  Winship  waited,  in  not  unnatural 
curiosity. 

"I  believe,"  Wiltshire  said  at  last,  "that  there's 
been  some  little  misunderstanding  between  you  and 
my  friend,  Mr.  Paul  Trafford." 

Winship's  manner  changed  at  once.  His  hard  mouth 
became  harder,  and  he  sat  rigidly  upright  in  his  chair, 
fisang  Wiltshire  with  the  stare  of  his  brilliant  eyes. 

"On  the  contrary,"  he  said,  quietly.  "Your  friend, 
Mr.  Paul  Trafford,  and  I  understand  each  other  very 
well."  •' 

The  slightly  ironical  tone  gave  an  additional  prick 
to  the  Duke's  mild  temper. 

"Now,  don't  be  an  ass,  Winship,"  he  said,  impa- 
tiently. "Mr.  Trafford  has  been  extremely  magnani- 
mous to  you,  and  you've  been  behaving  like  an  imbecile. 
Any  man  of  the  worid  would  tell  you  that." 
"Are  you  in  his  confidence,  Duke?" 
"I  am  to  the  extent  of  knowing  what  he  would  be 
willing  to  do  for  you." 

"And  his  reasons  for  wishing  to  do  it?" 
"That,  I  understand,  is  one  which  does  him  credit. 
He  has  learned  that  in  certain  transactions  with  your 
family,  some  years  ago,  the  loss  entailed  on  you  is 
greater  than  it  should  have  been.    He  is  eager  nw  to 
make  the  loss  good.    That's  all." 
"I  wonder  if  that's  his  way  of  putting  it,  or  youis  f" 
368 


THE  QANTS  STRENGTH 

"That  has  nothing  to  do  with  it." 
"No,  it  hasn't.  It's  merely  a  matter  of  curiosity  on 
my  part  because  it's  rather  neat.  Your  friend,  Mr. 
Paul  Trafford.  has  been  a  long  time  learning  the  fact 
of  which  you  speak.  His  mind  must  have  been  recent- 
y  opened  to  knowledge.  Perhaps,"  Winship  added 
laymg  his  hand  on  a  pile  of  numbers  of  the  New  York 
A/«^«zm.  that  were  within  reach-"  perhaps  he  got 
some  of  his  information  here." 

"Rot!"  Wiltshire  exclaimed,  contemptuously     "If 
you  re  going  to  be  guided  by  stuff  like  that-" 

No  no,  not  at  all.     There's  very  little  here  that  I 
didn  t  learn  with  my  catechism.     My  sister.  Marah 

lTf^^^'.'f  .r^'l'u'  '''"°"''"  "'■"^^  ereat  man's 
lite.  She  s  followed  his  career,  and  treasured  his  say- 
ings, and  marked  his  doings  down,  as  Boswell  never 
did  with  Johnson.  I  grew  up  to  the  knowledge  of  it 
all  as  I  did  to  the  art  of  painting." 

"That's  very  natural.  Your  sister  is  a  woman  who 
has  suffered  much.  She  has  her  own  point  of  view, 
trom  which  you  couldn't  move  her.  But  I  shouldn't 
think  a  man  like  you  would  go  by  any  opinion  but  his 
own. 

f  "V*;?''^^"  '"  '*'"  ^y  "'""  f'=«'5  '"-^"ds  your 
fnend,  Mr.  Trafford,  I  entirely  agree  with  her." 

But  on  slightly  different  grounds,  I  presume  " 
,^.     Hr^  T^'  f-nething  so  significant  in  the  Duke's  tone 
th«  Winship  looked  at  him  a  minute  before  replying 

Possibly,"  he  admitted  at  last.      "I'm  not  sure 
tnat  1  follow  you,  but — " 

269 


■t;  I, 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Oh  yes,  you  do.  Wfnship.  You  follow  me  well 
-ough.  Don't  let  us  have  any  beating  about  the  buTh 
The  matter  ,s  too  serious  for  that.  I  may  say  that  Tm 
here  .n  the  mterests  of  all  the  parties  concerned.  Hav^ 
I  your  perm,ss,on  to  speak  right  out,  as  an  old  friend, 
and,  perhaps,  one  of  your  best  friends  ?" 

accept^lt^^.-''^'  ""'  ''^°"'  ""J-  '^  -  S-  -  - 
"That's  my  first  object,  but  not  the  most  in.portant 
one.  I  must  say  that  for  a  man  like  you  to  refuse  a 
sum  that  would  raise  him  to  a  position  of  affluele 
seems  to  me  insane.  As  I  understand,  it's  money  to 
which  you  put  forth  a  claim."  ^ 

"No,  no,  Duke  May  I  correct  you  ?  The  system 
by  which  your  fnend,  Mr.  Paul  Trafford,  ruined  my 
Ira?  ^ZT^'r''  'T-  ""'•  '"^'"e  "s  no  claim 
the  law,  whenever  any  one  attempts  to  defend  himself 
or  to  h.t  back  Where  there  are  no  laws  to  shelterh  m 
he  buys  legislatures  to  pass  them.  It's  a  very  safe 
method  and  stops  effectually  anything  like  wh«  you 
call  a  cla.m-unless  it  be  a  moral  one  " 

rnay  be  hkely  to  thmk  probable.  Trafford's  not  a  bad 
sort,  at  heart  He's  far  from  being  the  cold,  calculat- 
mg  monster  the  fellows  in  that  magazine  would  »y  to 
make  h,m  out.  To  my  mind  he's  one  of  your  char- 
acteristic Amenc^n  primitives,  possessed  by  the  fury 
270 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


lay  not  so  mu.h  in  the  conquest  as  in  the  fight,  so  with 
h.m  Its  not  so  much  in  the  money  as  in  the  llmrnf 
gettmg  .t.     Now  that  he's  had  enough  of   hfl^ 
now  that  the  money  is  piled  up  aro'und  h  m.  o'th^r' 
pnm„,ve  impulses  are  beginning  to  awaken.        wo„ 
e'er  if  you  can  guess  ?" 

"I  needn't  guess.     I  know.     It  was  nev,>r  ,„ 
-a,  thing  fot  the  tohhet-haton  Jl^^^ZZ 

That's  it.     You've  hit  ii-      !»'■. 
watch  as  I'v,.  hJ.u  ^  '^""°"'  thing  to 

once  amus  ng  and  terrible     Simnt  •  '' 

titude  th«,%.  ;    '"'"Ple  conceptions  of  rec- 

titude,  that  are  matters  of  course  to  vou  and  n,. 

strange,  new  discoveries  to  him      On  TrafFn^d'       ' 

-nslates  itself  by  the  repetition  Z^l^nL'rlZ^ 

feet    g=^:  .    nL  Tt   W  ":■"  "^  '"'"'  °"  '"- 
6     "      i^ow,  1  say,  Winship,  whv  should  v/^.. 

from  a  mere  sense  of  pride,  block  the  path  to  i  M    ^ 

-n   feeling  his  way  to  doi^g  what's  right' "  ' 

isn't  it f"  '"""  what  you  mean. 

271 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Something  of  the  sort,"  Wiltshire  admitted. 

"Then  I  may  say  at  once,  Duke,  that  I've  no  inten- 
tion of  making  anything  easy  for  your  friend,  Mr.  Paul 
TraiTord,  that  I  can  render  hard.  It's  impossible  for  a 
man  like  you,  whose  life  has  been  cushioned  from  his 
cradle,  to  enter  into  the  feelings  of  people  like  our- 
selves, who,  during  long  years,  have  been  the  victims  of 
a  great  and  wanton  wrong." 

Winship  spoke  quietly,  and  drew  two  or  three  puffs 
from  his  cigar  before  he  went  on  again. 

"  I  can  recall  the  time  when,  as  a  boy  of  eight  or  ten, 
I  first  heard  the  name  of  Trafford  v/hispered  in  our 
household.  From  the  way  in  which  it  was  spoken  there 
came  to  be,  in  my  imagination,  something  evil  ind 
ominous  in  the  very  sound.  It  grew  to  be  the  theme 
of  all  my  parents'  conversation,  and  never  failed  to  in- 
spire anxiety,  anger,  and  fear.  I  don't  suppose  you 
know  anything  about  the  misery  a  young  lad  goes 
through  as  he  watches  his  elders  battling  with  some 
great  trouble  which  he  can't  understand.  The  thing 
is  all  the  more  terrible  from  its  impalpability  and  vague- 
ness. I  don't  exaggerate  in  the  least  when  I  say  that 
it  robbed  me  of  all  the  happy,  careless  ease  of  mind 
which  means  £  >  much  to  any  young  thing's  normal 
development.  I  had  no  boyhood.  Paul  Trafford 
crushed  it  out  of  me.  He  ground  us  all  into  powder,  as 
you  know  very  well.  We  all  had  to  suffer,  but  in  some 
respects  I  suffered  most,  though  no  one  took  note  of  it. 
I  was  the  lad  who  had  to  weep  behind  the  walls,  while 
the  women  went  forth  to  fight.    That  humiliation  is 


THE  QANTS  STRENGTH 

unimaginable  to  you,  who  have  probably  never  known 
an  hour's  indignity." 

"That's  all  you  know  about  it,"  Wiltshire  threw  in, 
with  a  touch  of  bitterness. 

"Well,  to  cut  it  short,"  Winship  pursued,  "I  vowed 
from  my  boyhood  to  hale  Paul  Trafford  into  some  court 
where  there  would  be  a  surer  justice  than  any  meted  out 
by  man.  It's  a  curious  fact  that,  while  I  never  saw  my 
way,  I  never  lost  the  conviction  that  some  day  I  should 
find  it.  And  I've  done  so.  I've  stumbled  into  it.  Or, 
rather,  I've  been  led  into  it  by  the  one  hand  on  earth 
that  has  power  to  inflict  on  him  the  very  chastisement  of 
Heaven." 
"You  must  mean  his  daughter's." 
"  I  do  mean  hers.  I've  found  all  the  justice  I  wanted 
in  the  fact  that  she  knows  him  as  he  is." 

"Don't  ycu  think  it  was  knowledge  that  might  have 
been  spared  herr" 

"There  can  be  no  way  of  sparing  Paul  Trafford's 
daughter,  as  long  as  the  sins  of  the  father  continue  to  be 
visited  on  the  child.  That's  a  law  which  nature  never 
relaxes.  If  there  had  been  any  way  of  escape  for  her, 
I,  of  all  men,  should  have  been  bound  to  find  it." 

"Why  you  of  all  men  ?"  Wiltshire  asked,  with  an  ef- 
fort to  maintain  his  calmness  of  tone. 

"  Because  I  love  her,"  Winship  cried,  fiercely.    "  Be- 
cause I'm  the  one  man  who  can  save  her.     Because  her 
one  chance  of  any  kind  of  happiness  lies  in  marrying 
me.' 
The  Duke  grew  white.    His  hand  trembled  so  that, 
873 


THE  GIANT'S  STRENGTH 

after  trying  ,o  raise  his  cigar  to  his  lips,  he  threw  it 
away.     He  knew  that  he  must  not  lose  hi;  selft^o' 

Win  hip  "  he's'Id  "r^'""'  '"  y°"  '°  f«'  '■•''«  S 
"Z7f  /  •  V^  ""  """"P*  «  »P"ting  kindly 
And  ,f  you  do  care  for  Miss  Trafford,  the  waj  is  "pen 
for  you  to  make  her  happy  as  it  is.  You  could^t  ke^he 
money  her  father  offers  you." 

m^r'.'    ^t"  ''"°'"'  "  '''"  "  '  'l^"  "'»  impossible 
What  the  law  has  g,ven  him,  he  shall  keep.    If  I  touched 

everyth>ng--g,ven  up  my  love-^iven  up  A^Tn  o"der 
to  keep  „    honor?     But  noFl  haven't  given  her  up 

time  ^r  ""'  '''"="  '""  '"^^  -■■"  •''^ng  her  back 
kin7;f  iL  '7' '"%Duke.  as  I  love  heriwith  that 
k,nd  of  love  which  is  for  once  and  always.  She  eave 
me  up  to  stay  wkh  him.    I  honor  her  fo'r  it.  and  love 

ta  t^Vr"-  UU  ".''"  ^°""S-  We  can'afTord  lo 
r«  r  '""  ^'  "  '^'^y  ^''^"  ^'>«  ^i"  be  free  to  cast 

t  as rwo^dT  '"■" '";  ='"''  ^°™  -  -  -^•'- 

Wm     She!  '  "T  "''""^y  'f  «  ''="1"''  been  for 

fern  She  loves  me,  Duke."  he  repeated,  speaking 
rapidly,  and  w.th  gestures.  "She  loves  me.  I  kn^ 
she  w,ll  never  change  or  love  another.  You  know  h^ 
You  know  how  pure  and  holy  and  true  she  is.  I  can 
wait  for  her,  for  however  long  the  time  may  be,  she'l" 

you  to  undentand  why  I  don't  take  the  money.    She 
274 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

hefMlf  would  condemn  me  for  it  now.    She'll  come  to 
me,  one  day,  without  it,  and—" 
'•For  God's  sake,  stop!"  Wiltshire  cried,  hoarsely. 
I'aula  18  to  marry  me  next  week  "  ' 

He  sat  rig;  1  and  white  in  his  chair,  his  fingers  twitch- 
ing nervously.  Winship,  leaning  from  his  .^r^eat 
gazed  at  him  with  blazing  eyes.  ' 

"Paula  is  to- }    Oh  no,  Duke,  no." 
,k      u 'u  ^','"?''"  "'•'''P'^'^d,  just  above  his  breath,  as 

sanktrk?4i^"aa~^'°''^"'-'^'-'' 

side      Dusk  was  gathering  in  the  long  studio.     The 
high  north  hght  began  to  take  on  a  faint  ringe  of  red 

ZTa    aV^"  T*"  '""'"•    Th'  two  men  sat  in 
such  dead  silence  that  the  mild  tinkle  of  the  door-bell 
tartled  then;       Each  sprang  to  his  feet  and  sto^d 
listening,  as  if  m  expectation. 

"Excuse  me,"  Winship  said  at  last.     "I'm  alone 
nere.    I  must  answer  it." 

H^^r^A"^'  \°"^^'  '"  6°'"  'he  Duke  returned. 
He  followed  Wmship  towards  the  door,  with  the  in- 
tennon  of  making  his  escape  when  the  new-comer  was 
admitted  But  he  stopped  again  at  the  sound  of 
Winship  s  voice. 
"Paula!" 

letT«  *'L"°°''  '^^  '""^  ^°°'  °'^"'  "'  ''"  ""'^"■"6  t° 
"I  had  to  come,  Roger,"  she  answered,  from  the 
275 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

threshold.  "Don't  be  angry.  Don't  blame  me.  I've 
something  to  tell  you.  I  didn't  want  you  to  hear  it 
from  any  one  but  myself.  Oh,  Roger,  let  ie  come  in. 
I  had  to  see  you  just  this  once  more.  It's  only  to  sav 
good-bye."  .' 

"Hush I"  Winship  whispered. 

But  it  was  too  late.  Paula  was  already  in  the  room, 
and 'face  to  face  with  Wiltshire. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 

•THERE  wa.  no  hesitation  on  PauJa's  part  She 
1  went  d-rectly  to  Wiltshire  and  held  outTeThand 
I  d.d„t  know  you  were  here.  Duke"  she  ,  m' 
wuhout  embarrassment.  "I  came  to  tell  Mr  W'  1  ' 
jomething  I  wanted  him  to  iJn'Zl't.X^f 
Perhaps,  .f  you  re  not  m  a  hurry,  you  could  come  back 

c4ar?/:hS'::?t^^:rii- 

Then  you'll  bring  her  to  dinner,  won't  you  ?    She 
wro«  me  she'd  come  if  she  wasn't  loo  tire  Jim  t 

th:!'^''"'"  "'"'  ^■'''•"■re  muttered.    "We  shall  meet 
th.s  evenmg.     Good-bye.  Winship.     ^u  revoir.  PauTa  " 

di.^V5        ^r"^'  ^"''  '""''■  =»"<*  "^P'^ed  wi'h  the 
zed  Paul^r  *^'  ''~;  t'^''  '"•''"''  ''■'"'  Winship 

bernX':::^^""''''-''^"''''-    "^""avethey 

277 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

She  released  henelf  and  drew  away  from  him. 

"No,  Roger,  I  haven't  been  ill.  I  only  think  that — 
perhaps — I'm — I'm — dying." 

"My  GoJI"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "They'll  pay 
for  this." 

He  tried  to  take  her  in  his  arms,  but  again  she  stepped 
back  from  him. 

"No,  Roger,  don't.  We're  all  alone  here,  aren't  we  ? 
Isn't  Marah  in  i" 

"Marah  is  out.    We're  all  alone." 

"Then  I  must  only  stay  a  minute,"  she  hurried  on. 
"  I  came  to  tell  you— to  tell  you—  Oh,  Roger,  I  don't 
know  how  to  say  it.  It  seems  like  a  blasphemy,  now 
that  I'm  face  to  face  with  you  again.  It's  like  a  crime. 
I  who  love  you  so  that  I  can  make  no  pretence  at  not 
doing  it — I'm  going  to  marry  some  one  else." 

"Then  it's  true,  Paula .'" 

"  Yes,  it's  true,  Roger.     Did  he  teil  you  .>" 

"Oh,  it  isn't  true.  It  can't  be  true.  You  won't  do 
it.     Say  you  won't  do  it." 

"I  must  Roger.  I  have  to  do  it  for  papa's  sake. 
There  are  other  reasons,  too.  Everything  is  forcing  me 
into  it.  I  don't  know  whit  else  to  do.  I'm  like  a  lost 
person.  And  I  love  you,  Roger.  I  shall  always  love 
jrou.     No  marriage  will  keep  me  from  doing  that," 

"Then  your  marriage  will  be  a  crime,  Paula,  as  you 
say.  You  must  reflect.  You  must  ask  yourself  if  it's 
just  towards  him." 

"Yes;  I  think  it's  quite  just.  He  knows  I  don't  love 
him — as  I  might  do." 

278 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

•'  But  have  you  told  him  that  you  love  tome  one  else  ?" 
He  never  aiked  me.    He  said  he  wouldn't  ask  me 
anythmg. ' 

"You  must  tell  him.  Paula.    You  must  tell  him 

Oh,  Roger,  what's  the  use?  It  would  only  make 
new  comphcations.  and  I'm  so  worn  out  with  those  that 
exist  already.  I've  t-ld  you  that  I  think  I  must  be 
dying,  and  I  beheve  it.  I  don't  seem  to  have  the  force 
'°.  •';  .1?'"''  "°''''"e  the  matter  with  me,  r  ,lly. 
only  It  8  all  been  so  hard  for  me.  You  know  I  h  en't 
much  strength  of  character;  and  so,  in  the  effort  to  stand 
alone,  Ive  just-sunk  down.  I've  come  to  the  point 
where  I  d  rather  they  did  just  as  they  will  with  me 
than  struggle  any  more." 
V  "^''' ''="'''••3'°"  mustn't  feel  like  that  when  I  love  you. 

..V     f.  T"^  '^  >'°"  ^"^  '"y  "™'  '°  "Phold  you." 
Yes,    she  smiled.     "I'd  be  strong  then.     But.  you 
see.  It  can  t  be."  ' 

wi.'^'ir  ^'i"''  "  ''* '  ^y  *''°"'''  y™  be  sacrificed .' 
Why  should  we  both  be  sacrificed?  You're  offering 
yourself  up  m  an  effort  that  will  never  bring  happiness 
to  any  one.  Leave  it  all  behind  you,  and  come  to  me 
Come  to  me,  as  I  .-=sked  you  to  come,  that  day  in  June 
You  could  go  to  England  with  Lady  Alice  Holroyd.' 
bhe  knows  our  story,  and  we  have  her  sympathy.  I'd 
follow  you,  and  we  could  be  married  there." 

"No  no,  Roger.  I  couldn't  do  anything  like  that. 
Don  t  hope  for  it.  I  couldn't  do  anything  in  flight  or 
secrecy.  -       =         d 

279 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


"You  must  be  reasonable,  Paula,  my  darling.  This 
isn't  a  matter  where  one  can  follow  the  rules  of  a  book 
of  etiquette.  It's  a  case  of  life  and  death — of  your  life 
and  your  death.  There's  no  other  question  here  than 
that  of  saving  you." 

"Nothing  can  save  me,  Roger.  The  situation  is  such 
as  to  leave  me  no  way  of  escape.  If  I  were  to  do  what 
you  suggest,  it  would  kill  my  father." 

"  But  you  mustn't  let  him  kill  you." 

"He  doesn't  mean  to.  He  hasn't  a  thought  but  for 
my  happiness.  You  remember  how  he  yielded  in 
everything  last  spring.  If  you  could  only  have  ac- 
cepted his  offer — " 

"Suppose  I  did  it  now,  Paula.  Would  that  help 
you  ?    Would  it  make  you  any  happier  ?" 

"I  couldn't  let  you  do  it  now.  I  know  things  now 
that  I  didn't  know  then.  I  see  that  you  were  right.  I 
see  that  you  couldn't  take  the  money.  I'm  glad  you 
didn't  accept  it,  even  for  my  sake.  But  I  have  to  keep 
it.  I  can't  separate  myself  from  my  father,  to  secure 
either  your  happiness  or  mine.  It's  especially  my  duty 
to  be  loyal  to  him  now,  when  so  many  others  are  con- 
demning him." 

She  moved  away  from  the  window  and  dropped  into 
a  chair. 

"I'll  sit  down  a  minute,"  she  murmured.  "I'm  not 
very  strong,  and  I'm  easily  tired." 

"Let  me  get  you  some  tea,"  he  begged.  "I  can  do  it 
quite  quickly,  even  though  I'm  alone  here." 

"No,  don't  do  that.  I've  only  a  minute  to  stay. 
280 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Perhaps  I  shouldn't  have  come  at  all.  But  I  couldn't 
face— what  I  have  to  do  next  week— without  seeing 
you  once  again.  I  shaU  feel  stronger  now.  and  mon 
resigned." 

''It's  monstrous,  Paula,"  Winship  broke  out,  bitterly. 

You  must  not  throw  away  your  life " 

"Roger,  dear,"  she  said,  softly,  "don't  let  us  talk 
any  more  about  it.     Take  a  chair  and  sit  near  me. 
There— not  quite  so  near-there.    Now  let  me  look 
about  this  dear  room.    You  know  I  haven't  been  in  it 
aince  the  day  your  mother  joined  our  hands  together. 
That  s  her  chair,"  she  continued,  gazing  around  the 
darkening  room.    "There's  Marah's  table,  with  her 
pamts  and  brushes.    There's  your  easel,  and  the  lay- 
figures,  and  the  old  piano.    Ah,  how  familiar  it  all  isl 
I  was  so  happy  during  the  weeks  I  used  to  come  here. 
You  didn't  know  what  bliss  it  was  to  me  to  sit  before 
you,  to  hear  you  talk,  and  watch  you  work.    I  didn't 
know  it  myself  then.    I  was  anxious  and  fearful,  al- 
ready, wondering  how  it  was  to  end.     But  now,  as  I 
look  back,  I  can  see  that  that  was  the  good  time.    Why 
couldn't  I  have  been  some  girl-student,  like  those  I  see 
at  the  Art  Qub  ?— whom  you  might  have  loved,  who 
might  have  loved  you,  with  no  great,  vexed  question 
between  us.  ^  How  happy  I  should  have  been  if  I'd  been 
poor.    That's  what  nature  meant  me  for.     I've  often 
wondered  why  I  could  never  feel  as  if  wealth  were  a 
matter  of  course  to  me,  like  so  many  girls  I  know,  who 
would  think  it  strange  if  they  didn't  have  all  the  money 
they  want  to  spend.    I  suppose  it's  because  I'm  like  the 
••  281 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

people  I'm  descended  from.  I've  been  reading  about 
them  in  those  dreadful  articles  erery  one  is  quoting. 
Jennie  O'Mara,  my  grandmother,  was  a  servant.  They 
say  I  resemble  her,  that  I  have  her  eyes.  You  see,  I'm 
nothing  but  a  simple  girl  of  the  people,  without  either 
the  instincts  or  the  antecedents  of  greatness;  and  yet 
I'm  to  be  the  richest  woman  in  the  world.  How  strange 
it  u  I—and  how  wrong !  That's  one  reason  why  I'm 
manying  the  Duke,  Roger,  dear.  As  his  wife  I  shall  be 
able  to  slip  out  of  all  this,  without  attracting  any  notice 
to  myself.  Even  papa  needn't  know  it,  so  the  Duke 
says." 

^^  "Paula,  don't  say  that  again,"  Winship  pleaded. 
"You  can't  marry  Wiltshire.  It's  out  of  all  reason  and 
possibility.    I'll  go  to  your  father.  I'll  take  anything— " 

She  rose  quietly  and  slipped  towards  him  through  the 
dusk.  She  laid  her  hands  on  his  shoulders  and  looked 
down  into  his  eyes. 

"I  came,  Roger,  for  help  and  strength.  You've 
given  them  to  me.  Just  to  see  you,  to  hear  your  voice, 
and  to  know  that  you  love  me  still,  has  made  me  braver. 
But  if  I  stay  any  longer  you'll  take  your  help  away. 
So  I  must  go." 

"No,  no,"  he  protested.    "Not  yet— not  yet." 

He  seized  her  hands  and  pressed  them  to  his  lips. 
When  he  released  them  she  stooped  and  kissed  him. 

"Good-bye.  Good-bye,"  she  murmured,  and  glided 
towards  the  door. 

Winship  was  wise  enough  to  let  her  pass  out,  and  go 
her  way  alone. 

282 


CHAPTER  XXV 

lADY  ALICE  HOLROYD,  dressed  still  in  her 
L-«  travelling-gown,  sat  drinking  tea  and  munching 
toast  in  Wiltshire's  sitting-room  at  the  Hotel  Bristol. 
Her  air  was  abstracted,  and,  as  she  ate,  her  gaze  was 
fixed  absently  on  one  spot  in  the  carpet. 

"I  mustn't  overdo  it,"  she  mused,  "and,  above  all,  I 
must  be  sympathetic.  It  would  spoil  everything  if  he 
thought  I  had  objections  on  my  own  account." 

So,  when  her  brother  entered,  she  rose  and  kissed  him 
cordially. 

"You  see  I've  come,"  she  exclaimed.  "I  couldn't 
wait  another  day,  after  getting  such  news  as  that." 

Wiltshire  threw  his  hat  and  overcoat  -n  one  arm- 
chair and  sank  wearily  into  another. 

"So  you've  come  to  congratulate  me,"  he  said,  in  a 
tone  of  which  the  slightly  suggested  itony  did  not 
escape  her. 

"I've  come  to  wish  that  you  may  be  very  happy, 
Ludovic." 

"Ah!    Why  the  distincrion  ?" 

"I'm  not  aware  that  I  make  any  distinction.  If  I  do, 
it's  because  your  happiness  is  the  first  of  all  considera- 
tions to  me." 

*83 


THE  GIANTS  STTRENGTH 

"Give  me  .ome  tea,"  he  requested,  with  the  air  of  . 
man  who  is  very  tired. 

"Your  happinew  i.  my  fim  and  only  consideration," 
.he  continued,  as  she  prepared  the  tea.    "It's  very  n.t- 

I  do  that  I  used  to  have  other  hopes  for  you;  but  that'. 
neiAer  here  nor  there  when  once  you  have'made  youJ 
choice.  Your  wife  would  be  my  sister,  even  /yZ 
picked  her  out  of  a  music-hall."  ^ 

"Well,  I  haven't  gone  as  far  as  that." 
Im  only  an  old  maid,  Ludovic,"  she  went  on 
passing  him  his  cup.    "r„,  »„  Englishwoman,  a  cou^ 

hnwations.  and  prejudices  of  my  class.  I'm  neithe^ 
modern  nor  democratic  nor  cosmopoliun.  But  all 
that  IS  nothing  to  me  the  minute  you've  found  the 
woman  you  love— and  who  loves  you." 

She  pronounced  the  last  four  words  in  a  natural  tone 
and  without  the  slightest  emphasis;  but  Wiltshire  gulped 
down  aa  his  tea  at  onc«.  and  passed  her  back  dTcup. 

tahst^^   she  pursued,  as  she  filled  the  cup  again,  "but 

Nod^nl  I  '°^«-""".'«»  iove-is  the  only  thing 
NoAing  dse  count,  -  neither  wealth  nor  des«nt  Jr 
fam.  y  pnde  nor  anything.  So  I  say  again,  Ludovic, 
that  ,fyo„  love  her.  and  if  she  loves  you.  there's  no  ques^ 
tion  about  It  but  that  you've  done  the  best  thing  pos- 
Mble.  It ,  a  pity  that  there  should  be  all  this  publicity 
about  her  family  history;  but  I  give  you  my  wo^J 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Ludovic.  that  nothing  of  the  sort  shall  weigh  against  her 
wxth  me— as  long  as  she  loves  you." 

"Thanks,"  Wiltshire  murmured. 

"And  how  is  the  dear  thing?"  Lady  Alice  inquired, 
m  another  tone. 

we?*'"*  ^"  °"^  *"'* ''"  '='""8ed-    She  isn't  veo- 
"Ahl" 

"  You'U  see  for  yourself.  We  are  going  to  dine  with 
tnem  this  evemng." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  cha-^ed  ?    You  don't  sup- 
pose she  has  anything  on  her  mind,  do  you  ?" 
"On  her  mind?    What  should  she  have  ?" 
He  glanced  up  at  her  sharply,  but  he  turned  his  own 
eyes  quickly  away  before  the  scrutiny  in  hers.    He  had 
the  uncomfortable  suspicion  that  she  knew  more  of  his 
affairs  th«..  he  did  himself.    He  remembered  that  Win- 
ship  had  stayed  with  her  at  Edenbridge,  not  long  ago, 
and  might  easily  have  taken  her  into  his  confidence. 
..^.  ,  '     ''°"''  ^'^'"  ^'^y  Alice  responded,  vaguely. 
GirU  often  have  ideas  which  they'll  allow  to  consume 
them  away  before  they'll  speak  of  them— and  espe- 
cially i.xce  girls  like  Paula." 

"I'm  afraid  I  don't  understand  you,"  Wiltshire  said, 
affecting  a  tone  of  indifference.  "I  think  I'll  go  and 
dress  now.  I  hope  they've  given  you  comfortable  rooms. 
We  ought  to  leave  here  at  eight." 

But,  having  passed  into  his  room,  he  did  not  dress. 
He  sent  his  man  away,  and  once  more  threw  himself 
weanly  into  an  arm-chair,  where  he  sat  ponderine 
285 


TWE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


bJli?'  "'l"  *"  ^'^  •'""'  .omething  that  had 
«nco„sdou.Iy,  r^  came  to  hiS^  ke  ,  "<^t  o   iZ' 

s  rnrihatl^rrr""  ^'•>->^- .x 

^eT  h!d  ^r '  '™  ^°"'*' "«  •«  -•>«  «•-  o  do 
l7w«  ,t  '  '  "^'  "'""'  ''«""  »"y  ««='«  about  that 
It  wa.  th»  ground  on  which  H,  had  approached  h« 

286 


THE  GIA^f^S  STRENGTH 

But  .his  was  the  crowning  instance  of  all.  Paula  did 
love  him— in  a  wav     Tl.,.  :.     u    l  . 

t«.m.^  I,-  cu  ^"  "'  '*'  ••'*  honored  and  es- 
teemed h,m.  She  trusted  him  with  the  secret,  whicT 
he  beheved,  she  would  never  confide  to  any  one  eTse  on 

I^?  ir^K  r  '"'"'y  '"'"'^«  ^''«-"-    And 

man  wi"  '  ^^^  ^inship-a  pauper-a  nobLy-f 
man  who  could  pve  her  no  proud  place  in  the  world 
nor,  indeed,  anything  but  himself.  "»  ">"'°rid. 

In  spite  of  his  native  simplicity,  Wiltshire  could  not 
It  emi"^  */k""  ^'". '°  "•''  8>11  to  his  wormwo^ 
iNo  one  could  have  greater  advantages  of  position 
wealth,  and  character;  and  yet,  becauThe  w«  sho« 
and  ugly  and  duH^yed,  he  could  neither  command 

be  the  sort  of  tempered  affection  which  pVula  gave- 
the  affection  of  one  who  could  look  below  the  surface 
and  honor  him  for  what  was  hidden  there 
,^V  **  ""l*  ^^""^'  °^^''  "flections  passed 

wlaf'h  M™  •?'  c'?""^''*'  ^''y  ""^  t*  content  with 

what  he  could  get  ?  Since  life  offered  him  only  half  a 
oaf,  was  It  not  better  to  uke  it  than  to  go  hungry? 
It  was  out  of  the  question  for  Paula  to  marry  Roger  Wn- 
^P.  m  any  circumstances  in  which  she  could  be  placed 
Then  why  not  make  the  best  of  the  situation  by  marry: 
mg  her  himself?  The  conditions  would  not  be  idTal  for 
any  one  concerned,  but  he  would  uke  care  that  they 
mvolved  no  actual  misery.    Of  whatever  suffering  the.^ 


Ill 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

if  ^W  bear  he  would  accept  Ae  Uon'.  ,h,re  u  hi. 

r^a??o  It  ^  '^'-"y*"g  would  be  b«. 
ter— than  to  give  her  up. 

It  wa.  cold  comfon,  but  he  bad  no  other.    Such  a*  it 

M^'l!7l        the  courage  to  drew,  and  go  with  Lady 

to  conceal  h,.  pam.  a.  he  watched  Paula',  jaded^om 
n«  th«e.'"*"  '  '^'^  ^"  '''"  «"»•*'"«  'Wch  ,;; 
.J'  ?.'  ''k'"  *"  """  ^"^'"«  ^""^  '»  *«  hotel  with  hi. 

evidel;  aX  ""  *"  """""  ''  "''''  "^ 

Lady  Alice  did  not  reply. 

her  S?" '  '^'"  ^"  ""  beins-,lte«d.  «nce  you  .,w 

"Why  don't  you  answer  V  he  persisted. 

Because  I  m  trying  to  think  of  what  to  say." 
"Y«';S^:[.r'»' -"«'-"« 'He  least  pain." 

"I  don't  think  you  need  mind  about  that-now.  I 
apprec  .e  your  hesitation,  but  it's  more  or  less  needless. 
You  know  thmgs  that  I  don't,  and  yet  I  do  know  mo« 
than  you  may  suppose." 

"That's  rather  enigmatical." 

"No,  it  isn't.  It  means  only  that  I've  learned  so 
much  that  you  needn't  be  afraid  to  tell  me  eve,jS.l„g!^ 

'2oO 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

u^"  w^**  '^  *'"''  *"  ^  ''•'«  »ny*'ng  to  tell  ?" 
b  dm^"      "**"•*  *•*"'  "'"  "'8''«»  '"«'» you  at  Eden- 
"Wellf" 

"I  don't  imagine  that  you  ditcuned  pictures  all  the 
time. 

;|We  didn't" 

"No;  he  took  you  into  hi«  confidence,  and  told  you 
about  himself— and— and— Paula." 

Lady  Alice  seemed  lo«  in  the  contemplation  of  the 
lights  and  carriage  as  they  crossed  the  Place  de 
Ibtoile. 

"^"*f  '^"  ^"8  *°  •P**'' '"  Wiltshire  went  on. 

What  s  the  good  of  speaking,  Ludovic  ?    If  Roger 

Winship  said  anything  to  me,  it's  best  to  bury  it  in 

Silence.    You  and  Paula  ate  to  be  married  nen  week. 

and  so—"  ^ 

"The  good  of  speaking  lies  in  the  fact  that  I  need  to 
know.  Orcumstances  that  touch  me  most  closely  are 
famihar  to  you,  to  Winship,  to  Trafford.  to  Paula— in 
short,  to  every  ore  but  myself.  There's  no  one  to 
whom  I  can  turn  for  the  information  so  naturaUy  as  to 
jrou."  ' 

«T '?"*'.  J'l''"'^*''"  '•"  ''"'^' '"  '°"«  of  astonishment, 
I  should  think  you'd  see  it." 

"See  what?" 

Lady  Alice  had  to  brace  herself  before  she  replied. 

It  was  no  easy  thing  to  deal  at  her  brother  the  blow 

which  must  inflict  on  him  a  lifelong  pain.    She  had  to 

remind  herself  again  that  he  was  the  head  of  the  house 

289 


m 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

of  Hdroyd,  and  muit,  at  aU  com,  be  true  to  the  hia- 
tety  and  tradition,  of  hi.  race.  Paula  Trafford  might 
be  charming  in  her.elf,  but  no  Holroyd  could  look  u»n 
the  marriage  a«  other  than  a  family  diiaiter.  "The 
daughter  of  a  notoriou.,  low-bom  Yankee  freebooter," 
their  uncle.  Lord  George,  had  called  her,  when  the  ei- 
pjgement^  announced  to  him;  and  much  a.  Lady 
Alice  hked  Paula  for  her  own  «ike.  .he  could  not  den> 
that  the  de.,gnationwa.ju«.  It  wa.  a  caae  in  which 
Ludow  had  to  be  ««d  from  him^^lf.  but,  even  «,. 
Lady  Alice  argued,  .he  would  have  had  the  weaknea. 
to  .pare  him  if  Paula  had  only  loved  him. 

"See  what?"  .he  exclaimed,  echoing  her  brother'. 
'^^„    See  that  the  girl  i.  dying  on  her  feet,  be- 

;;Becau«."  he  broke  iji,  ".he',  going  to  many  me." 
Not  quite  that,  Ludovic.    But  becauM  .he  i.n't 
going  to  many  Roger  Win«hip." 

"You  don't  know,"  he  cried,  deaperatehr.    "YouVe 
only  hi.  word  for  it." 

"I  haven't  only  hi.  word,  I've  her..    I  know  what 
happened— and  what',  happening." 
"What  do  you  mean-what'.  happening?" 
I  ve  told  you.    She',  fading  out  of  Ufe.    You  miw 
«U  be  blind  not  to  Ke  it" 
"And— what  happened  ?" 

"You  make  me  wy  it,  Ludovic,  mind  you.    I  would 

have  kept  It  from  you  if  I  could.    Last  .pring,  about 

the  time  you  ome  back  from  the  Cape.  Paula  became 

engaged  to  Roger  Winahip.    The  father  con«nted,  and 

290 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

thejr  migjit  have  been  married,  only  that  R  ret 
wouldn't  accept,  nor  let  her  accept,  any  of  the  Traflfbrd 
money.  Then  it  waa  all  broken  off,  naturally  enough. 
There!  Now  you  know  all  there  if  to  know.  You'll 
.  hate  me  ai  long  as  you  live  for  telling  you,  but,  you  tee, 
you've  made  me." 

"You've  done  quite  rightly,"  he  murmured,  from  the 
depthi  of  hii  comer  of  the  carriage.  "It  would  have 
been  better  if  I  had  known  it  before." 

Ai  they  rolled  on  the  rest  of  their  way  in  silence.  Lady 
Alice  reflected  sadly  on  the  amount  of  heroism  it  some- 
rimes  takes  to  be  loyal  to  one's  membership  in  a  great, 
historic  family. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

P  ARLY  in  the  next  forenoon  Wiluhire  wu  inhered 
L^  into  Tmfford'i  office.  He  entered  with  an  apoloey 
for  the  untimely  hour,  but  Trafford  stopped  him  with 
the  assertion  that,  had  he  not  come,  he  Limself  would 
have  gone  forth  to  seek  the  Duke  at  his  hotel. 

'^The  faa  is,  WUtshire,  that  I'm  worried  about  her. 
TTiis  morning  she's  going  around  the  house  like  a  ghost. 
It  s  no  use  blinding  ourselves  to  the  fact  that  she's  veiy 

Trafford  leaned  heavily  on  his  desk,  and  fingered  the 
paper-weighu  nervously. 

"What  do  you  suppose  is  the  matter  with  her  ?"  Wil^ 
»"jre  asked,  with  some  slight  hesitation. 

"I've  had  Robin  to  see  her.    I  didn't  tell  you  that" 
Well,  what  does  he  say  f " 

"Oh,  he  made  up  some  cock-and-bull  stoiy,  as  doctors 
ahwys  do  when  they're  afraid  to  confess  their  ignorance, 
baid  he  thought  she  was  suffering  from  some  secret  grief 
I  told  him  that  wasn't  poMible." 

"Are  you  sure  it  isn't,  Trafford  i" 

"How  could  it  be?" 

"I  think  I  could  tell  you." 
"You?" 

292 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

TnflFord  raited  hi*  head  with  ludden  ■ttendon. 
Yet,  I.    Doetn't  it  ttrike  you  that,  between  ut,  you 
and  I  are— killing  her?"  ' 

Trafford  itared  at  Wiltthire  a  long  half-minute  before 
aniwering. 

"How?"  he  aiked,  laconically. 

"By  urging  her  into  a  nurriage  in  which  the  hu  no 
heart," 

" '  *,  but  you  mutt  be  mittaken,  Wiltthire.  I  know 
the  I  fond  of  you—" 

"Yet,  at  the  would  have  been  fond  of  an  elder 
brother,  if  the  had  one.  It't  becauie  ihe'i.  fond  of  me 
in  that  way  that  the  hatn't  the  heart  to  hurt  me  by 
refuting—" 

He  pauted,  half  hoping  to  be  contradicted  again 
But  when  Trafford  spoke   hit  tone  implied  little  in- 
clination to  dispute  the  question. 
"Do  you  think  so ?"  wat  all  he  taid. 
"Aren't  we  obliged  to  think  to?    Haven't  we  the 
proof  before  us  ?" 
"Where?" 

"In  herself.  No  woman  who  wat  going  joyfully  to 
her  wedding-day  would  look  as  the  doet.  Mind  you, 
I  don't  say  that  what  the's  doing  she's  doing  unwil- 
lingly. On  the  contrary,  she's  making  a  willing 
sacrifice— the  tactifice  of  all  her  own  happiness  for 
the  sake  of  pleasing  you  and  me.  We're  forcing 
her — " 

"Nc,  no;  not  ''lat,  Wiltshire.    I've  never  put  the 
slightest  constraint  upon  her.    She's  always  been  at 
293 


THE  CyANTS  STRENGTH 

ft»e  a,  the  wind.    When  k  comes  to  sacrifice,  I'm 
willing  to  antiapate  hers  by  mine-in  eveiything." 

Not  more  so  than  I,  Trafford,"  the  Duke  said 
quietly  "And  yet  I  repeat  what  I  said:  we're  forS 
her  by  the  vep.  fact  of  letting  her  see  how  much  it  mean! 
to  us  We  don  t  realize  that  she's  just  the  nature  to 
break  her  own  heart  rather  than  wound  yours  or  mine. 
The  question  for  us  to  decide  is  whether  or  not  we're 
going  to  let  hen"  ■««  we  re . 

"Of  course  we  can't  let  her-if  you're  right." 
Trafford  spoke  with  difficulty,  finishing  his  sentence 
wiA  a  sort  of  gu^.    He  bent  his  head  a^in.  and  one* 
more  l«gan  pushing  the  paper-weights  about. 
And  you  know  I  am  right,"  Wiltshire  persi«ed. 
A^m  Trafford  hesitated  before  answering. 
1  hen  what  do  you  propose  to  do  ?"  he  asked  at  last 
with  a  certain  huskiness. 

acl?'  *°"e';*  *«°ver,  and  I  see  that  here  our  united 
action  ends.  If  her  happiness  is  to  be  secured-and  I 
suppose  that  is  the  dearest  wish  of  both  of  us-then  I 
have  one  Usk  and  ycu  have  another.    I  have  the  right 

Svrm1":a:"^''"'^""''''-"''°^^°-.""•-A- 

"Say  what  you  like.    This  is  no  time  for  too  much 
punctiliousness.     Whatever  is  necessary  I  shall  have  to 

tin      \     K     ^"  *°  '■^'=°g"'"   'hat   I   can't  be 
stronger  than  she  s,  not  any  more  than  the  chain  can 

you  meZ"  '"  ""'^"^  ""''•    N°^'  "»  ">«  ^hat 

"It's  soon  said."  Wiltshire  went  on.    "I  can  free  her 
294 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

from  the  m>n  she  doesn't  love;  but  it's  for  you  to  let  her 
marty  the  man  she  does."  ™ieiner 

TraflTord  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"There's  a  man— she  does — love?" 

A  prl  hke  Paula  hasn't  forgotten  in  Januaor  the  man 
Traff"™-!!"   '°  """^  '"  ■^""'"     ^  ''°"''  "P""^''  J"""' 
"Oh  reproach  me  if  you  like,"  Trafford  groaned,  im- 
patiently,  as  he  strode  up  and  down  the  room. 

I  will  say,  ho^wever,  that  if  you  had  only  told  me 
what  I  ought  to  have  known,  none  of  us  would  have 
been  m  the  position  in  which  we  find  our..  Ives  to-day  " 
1  give  you  my  word  of  honor,  Wiltshire,  I  thouEht 
.t  was  all  over.  Paula  did  promise  to  maro'  the  mfn. 
but  smce  the  affair  ended  she  seemed  never  to  think 
oi  nim  again. 

"And  I  can  tell  you  that  she  thinks  of  nothing  but 
nim.     If  I  were  in  your  place — " 

"You'd  let  her  many  him.  Yes,  I  know,"  Trafford 
broke  in,  impatiently,  "but you'll  be  surprised,  perhaps, 
when  I  tell  you  I'd  consented  to  the  match,  only  die 
man  refused  my  money.  But  what's  the  use  of  dis- 
cussmg  It.  The  whole  thing  is  out  of  the  question- 
unless— unless  her  life  depended  on  it." 
"Are  you  sure  it  doesn't?" 

"^^.^r-   Wiltshire,"  Trafford  cried,  wheeling 
round.       What  are  you  trying  ,0  say?    Speak  right 
out,  for  Heaven  s  sake!" 
"I  mean  that,  for  your  sake  and  mine,  Paula  has  un- 
295 


THE  GIA^JTS  STRENGTH 


dertaken  a  task  beyond  her  strength.  In  the  effort  to 
cany  it  out  she's  being  physically  and  mentally  and 
spiritually  exhausted.  The  question  in  her  mind  is 
a  more  complicated  one  than  that  of  giving;  up  the  man 
she  loves  to  marry  the  one  she  doesn't  love.  That's 
an  experience  many  girls  have  had  to  face,  and  they've 
lived  through  it.  Paula  could  do  it  as  well  as  diey. 
But  in  her  case  she  has  other  troubles — " 

"Other  troubles?" 

"And  I  think  you  ought  to  know  it,  Trafford." 

"But,  good  God  I  what  other  troubles  can  she 
have?" 

"Your  own.  She  isn't  ignorant  of  the  campaign 
they're  carrying  on  against  you — over  there." 

"Well,  what  of  it?" 

"  I've  no  more  to  say  on  the  point.  I  mention  it  only 
to  explain  why  the  accumulation  of  her  experiences 
during  the  past  few  months  has  been  such  a  drain  on 
her  vitality." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  she  attaches  importance  to 
the  rot  they've  been  wridng  about  me  in  New  York  ?" 

"  I  think  I  can  go  as  far  as  that." 

"Importance — in  what  sense  ?" 

The  low  tone  of  Trafford's  voice,  the  stillness  of  his 
attitude,  and  the  intensity  of  his  deep  eyes  betrayed  the 
fear  with  which  he  awaited  Wiltshire's  reply. 

"That's  a  quesrion  I've  no  right  to  answer.  Any 
discussion  of  it  should  be  between  you  and  her." 

"That  sounds  as  if  you  were  afraid  of  breaking  bad 
news.    Well,  I  won't  press  you." 
296 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

For  a  few  minutes  Trafford  resumed  his  walk  up 
and  down  the  room,  his  hands  clasped  behind 
his  back  and  his  head  bent.  W  en  he  stopped  at 
last  m  front  of  Wiltshire,  he  astonished  him  by  say- 
ing: '  ' 
"Let's  go  and  talk  it  out  with  Paula." 
Wiltshire  objected,  on  the  ground  that  he  preferred  to 
have  his  own  mterview  with  her  in  private. 

"No,  no,"  Trafford  urged.  "I  must  be  there.  I 
must  know  what  you  say  to  each  other.  I  must  know 
above  all,  what  she  says.  The  question  touches  me  too 
closely  to  have  it  decided  in  my  absence.  Come,  Wilt- 
shire," he  insisted,  taking  the  Duke  by  the  arm  and 
almost  dragging  him  from  his  chair,  "come  along,  and 
we  11  reach  an  understanding  together." 

Reluctant  as  he  was,  Wiltshire  suffered  himself  to 
be  led  away  towards  Paula's  boudoir.  As  they  ap- 
proached  the  half-open  doorway  they  heard  women's 
voices  within.  Wiltshire  held  back,  but  Trafford 
pushed  the  door  open  and  entered.  Two  women  were 
on  their  knees,  with  pins  in  their  hands  and  between 
their  teeth.  There  was  a  third  woman  farther  off, 
looking  on  with  critical  attention.  Paula  stood  in  the 
midst,  tall,  pale,  grave,  crowned  with  orange-blossom, 
veiled  in  lace,  and  shimmering  in  the  white  and  silver 
of  her  wedding-dress. 

She  gave  a  little  ciy  as  her  father  entered. 
"Don't  be  alarmed,"  he  said,  with  a  forced  laugh. 
It  s  no  one  to  be  afraid  of.    Come  here,  Duke,  and 
you'll  see  something." 

297 


II  il 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"No,  no!    Pleasel"  Paula  impbred. 

But  TrafFord  insisted  on  Wiltshire's  entering.  Since 
things  had  gone  as  far  as  this,  he  was  not  without  a 
lingering  hope  that  it  might  be  too  late  for  turning 
back. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

her  laS  ""•  y°"  ^"'^•"  "he  said,  spreading 

•'And  as  I'm  going  to  do  so-"  Paula  began, 
blj;  "  "•""  '"  '°  '""^  »''°«  "-at."  Wnfsire  said. 

Trafford  declared,  with  intentional  directness  rfatta^L 
299 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"Oh,  how  can  he  ?  You  must  both  know  that  I'm 
doing  it— willingly." 

"It's  precisely  because  I  do  know  that  that  I'm  won- 
dering  whether  I  should  let  you,"  Wiltshire  said,  gently. 

"  But  I  thought  you — wanted  to." 

"It  isn't  a  question  of  what  I  want,  Paula.  It's  the 
far  bigger  question  of  what's  right.  And  I've  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  isn't  right  for  me  to  let  you 
throw  away  your  life  for  mine." 

"  Is  it  because  you  saw  me  at  Mr.  Winship's  yester- 
day that  you  bring  this  up  now?  Papa,  dear,"  she 
added,  turning  to  Trafford,  "I  went  to  see  Mr.  Winship 
yesterday.  I  felt  that  I  had  a  right  to  do  it.  I  wanted 
to  bid  him  good-bye.  Is  it,"  she  continued,  looking 
again  at  Wiltshire—"  is  it  because  of  that  that  you  want 
to— to  release  me?" 

"  I  know  why  you  went  there.  As  you  say,  it  was  to 
bid  him  good-bye.  But  if  you  hadn't  loved  him  you 
wouldn't  have  wanted  to  do  it." 

There  was  no  reproach  in  Wiltshire's  tone.  He  tried 
to  keep  out  of  it  everything  but  a  mere  statement  of  the 
fact. 

"I  do  love  him,"  Paula  said,  after  a  minute's  hesi- 
tation. "I  needn't  deny  it.  A  lot  of  people  know  it. 
Your  sister  knows  it,  and  papa,  and — " 

"I  swear  I  didn't,  Paula,"  Trafford  cried.  "I  thought 
you  had  given  the  man  up." 

"So  I  have,  papa.  But  don't  you  remember  that  I 
told  you  I  should  alwajrs  love  him — even  if  I  married 
some  one  else." 

300 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

•'You  lee,  then—"  WUtshire  began. 
"But  that  doesn't  keep  me  from  loving  you,"  ahe 
went  on,  quickly,  "just  as  much  as  I've  always  loved 
you.  Only  it  isn't  the  same  thing.  It  isn't  even  the 
same  sort  of  thing.  If  you  think  I've  changed  towards 
you,  Duke,  or  that  I  don't  want  to  keep  my  word,  you're 
quite  wrong." 

"But  I  don't  think  so,  Paula.  I  know  you're  ready 
to  marry  me,  and  I  know  you'd  do  it  from  the  highest 
motives  that  can  rule  in  human  conduct,  but  I  couldn't 
have  the  heart  of  a  man  and  allow  you  to  do  it." 

"Let's  sit  down,"  Trafford  suggested,  vri.h  some- 
thing like  a  groan. 

When  they  had  taken  seats,  Wiltshire  defined  the 
situation  between  them.  He  took  the  responsibility  for 
it  entirely  upon  himself.  He  had  practically  laid  a  trap 
for  her.  He  had  placed  her  in  a  position  in  which  it 
had  been  almost  impossible  for  her  to  refuse  him.  He 
had  known  that  at  the  time.  He  had  been  quite  aware 
that  unless  she  had  other  reasons  for  doing  so  she  could 
not  marry  him  for  love.  He  would  say  in  his  own 
defence  that  he  hoped  that  the  love  which  was  lacking 
now  she  might  learn  to  give  him  as  their  lives  went  on 
together.  It  was  a  hope  founded  on  the  assumption 
that  if  she  did  not  love  him  much,  at  least  she  loved 
no  one  else  more.  Now  that  he  knew  to  the  contrary, 
he  must  beg  her  not  to  sacrifice  herself  in  an  effort  that 
could  only  fail.  She  listened  with  downcast  eyes.  Her 
face  was  pale  and  drawn,  and  though  she  maintained 
her  self-control,  her  emotion  betrayed  itself  in  the 
301 


I!  I 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

nervoiuneM  with  which  the  twirled  round  and  round 
the  one  ring  she  wore— her  engagement-ring.  She  waa 
unconacious  of  the  action,  but  Wiltshire  noted  how 
loosely  the  ring  clung  to  the  thin  white  finger. 

"I  don't  think  you  do  me  justice,  Duke,"  she  said, 
when  he  had  finished  speaking.  She  raised  her  eyes 
and  looked  at  him  with  apparent  calmness.  "You 
seem  to  think  I  have  'aken  this  iitep  without  knowing 
what  I  was  doing,  or  counting  the  cost.  But  I  did  all 
that  beforehand.  If  I  hadnt  believed  that  I  could  be 
agood  wife  to  you,  I  shouldn't  have  undertaken  to  try. 
That  I  loved  some  one  else  differently  was  something  I 
never  intended  that  you  should  know.  It  wouldn't 
have  been  necessary.  I  don't  suppose  that  any  two 
married  people  know  everything  about  each  other— or 
that  they  need  to  know.  You'd  have  been  happy  with 
me — " 

"Ah,  but  would  you  have  been  happy  with  me, 
Paula? 

"A  woman's  happiness,  Duke,  is  very  easily  secured. 
A  large  part  of  it— the  very  largest  part  of  it— is  in  the 
happmess  of  those  she  cares  for.  If  you  and  papa  were 
pleased,  that  in  itself  would  mean  a  great  deal  to  me 
I  don't  say  that  it  would  be  enough  to  make  me  put 
aside  all  positive  desires  of  my  own,  if  there  were  no 
other  reason.    But  there  is  another  reason-  " 

"Papa  knows.    I  needn't  explain  it.    It's  enough  to 
say  that  it  exists.    I  couldn't  marry  Mr.  Winship, 
however  much  I  cared  for  him.    And  since  that  is  so, 
30a 


THE  GIAhJTS  STRENGTH 

why  ihouldn't  I  uke  what's  left  of  my  life  to  bring  tome 
comfoR  into  yours  ?" 

Wiltshire  sprang  up  and  crossed  the  room  towards 
her. 

"No,  no,  Paula.  It  can't  be.  You  wouldn't  be 
bnnging  comfort  into  my  life  when  I  knew  you  were 
desolating  your  own.  It  isn't  as  if  everything  were 
surely  over  for  the  love  you  own  to.  If  it  were,  then, 
perhaps— who  knows  ?— I  might  let  you  come  in  to  the 
poor  shelter  I  could  offer  you.  But  eveiything  isn't 
over — " 

"Oh,  Duke,  don't  say  that,"  she  cried,  in  a  sharp 
tone  of  pleading. 

"I  do  say  it.  I  say  it  and  repeat  it.  Reasons  that 
exist  to^ay  may  not  exist  to-morrow.  What  should  I 
fe<jl  a'  the  time  ever  came  when  you  might  be  free  to 
many  him,  if  you  had  not  been  tied  to  me?" 

She  started  with  a  little  gasp,  raising  her  hand  as  if 
to  brush  the  thought  away  from  her.  It  was  the  hand 
on  which  her  engagement-ring  hung  so  loosely.  Wilt- 
•W^  caught  it,  holding  it  frmly  in  his  own  grasp. 

"I'm  going  to  take  this  off,  Paula.  It  should  never 
have  gone  on." 

She  looked  at  him  piteously,  big  tears  beginning  to 
roll  down  her  cheeks.  Trafford  sprang  from  his  chair, 
with  an  inarticulate  sound  of  impatience.  Wiltshire 
drew  the  ring  so  slowly  from  the  finger  that  he  seemed 
to  be  counting  the  seconds  by  which  his  own  life  ebbed 
away. 

In  the  long  minute  of  silence  a  discreet  tap  on  the 
303 


1  ! 


ii 


THE  GIAhTTS  STRENGTH 

door  .ounded  mrtUngly  loud.    To  TnlTord'.  quick 

in    a"^rd*         *"**"'>'  «""'«'•  "pologetiainy  offer- 

"The  gentleman  laid  hit  errand  wa«  unent "  the 

J^crettjy  explained.  "otherwi«  I  shouldn't  have' vent- 

"You're  quite  right,  Smithion.  A«k  Duivnd  to  «ho«r 
the  gentleman  in  here." 

"But  who  it  it.  papa  f"  Paula  cried,  litinK.  "I  can't 
•ee  any  one."  *^  * 

"You'd  better  tee  him,"  Trafford  aaid.  gruffly. 

He  handed  the  card  to  Wiltthire,  who,  having  ^.d  i,, 
patted  It  on  no  Paula.  ^ 

■'You  tee,  I  wat  right,"  he  said.  m^y.  "Eveiything 
itn  t  over  yet.  '6 

"But.  papa/'  Paula  protested,  with  an  air  of  distrei,, 
J  can  t  tee  Mr.  W.nthip  with  thia-thi.  wedding^te., 

"Then  uke  it  off." 

'7"'..'t'"'."  •*•  ''»"'»'"  W"«»W«  »»■■«'.  with  a  tad 
sm.  e.  "At  long  at  I  live  I  thaU  remember  with  ^ 
that  you  were  willmg  to  wear  it.  Now  I  am  going  to 
tay  good-bye  You  muttn't  be  u^ny  for  aching 
that,  occurred,  becaute.  even  at  thingt  are,  I'm  a 

Tu'"  '''"  *'"   """*»"  'f  I  *<•"'«  «ove 

"Oh.  Duke-"  she  began,  brokenly. 

W.„sh,p  wm  be  here  in  a  minute,  and  you  must  ^  and 
take  that  off.     But  you  can  lay  it  awiy  somewheie- 


'K--. 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

can't  you  ?— and  keep  it  in  memoiy  of  the  Mcrifice— 
from  which  I  saved  you." 

Again  Paula  tried  to  .peak,  but  he  turned  quickly 
from  her.  With  a  rapid  preiiure  of  Trafford's  hand, 
he  left  by  one  door,  while  Paula  went  out  by  another. 
Trafford  wai  thus  left  alone  to  wait  for  Winihip. 


ill 


I  i  i 


i  i' 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

»k.  — .  .  waned  no  tinie  in  forcinv 

Uie  manceuvre  that  could  nnr  k.  .  _■  j        '""="'8 

When  Wdtshjre  deed  the  door  behind  him.  he  di.. 

^r^hr^a  rveT"£::.r/""^°"  -  -^^^^ 

of  the  tool  fK«  k,7l        ^      *  '""  °"'  ™°"  '""»"« 

Paula  T«fforHtr\       •        '^"  ""8'">  °«  to  insure 
rende«l^-  ^"PP'""'.   but  circumstance,   had 

rendered  him  unsu.ted  to  the  task.    Very  well-  the~ 
was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  turn  to  ^^.^tZ 
306 


THE  GIANTTS  STRENGTH 

nwJd  be  equal  to  the  undertaking,  even  though  it  were 
■  Roger  Winship.  Trafford  wai  tubconiciouily  aware 
that  a  day  would  come  when  he  would  have  leiture  to 
took  back  with  regret  to  the  hope,  he  had  built  upon  the 
Duke,  but  events  presied  too  clowly  to  allow  of  hii 
ooing  It  now. 

During  the  few  minutei  that  paised  between  the 
Duke,  departure  and  Win,hip',  appearance.  Traf. 
ford  reviewed,  in  his  rapid  way,  the  poinu  of  the  situa- 
tioin^  one  by  one,  and  prepared  himself  for  any  step  he 
might  be  called  upon  to  uke. 

The  meeting  between  the  two  men  was  cold  and  for- 

«ble  for  Winship's  trained  observation  not  to  see  that 
irafford  was  a  broken  man,  and  equally  so  for  Traf- 
ford^  with  his  habit  of  quick  scrutiny,  not  to  perceive 
in  Winship  a  certain  development  in  command  and  im- 
portance, since  their  meeting  of  six  months  ago. 

I  must  thank  you  for  receiving  me."  Winship  began, 
when  they  had  taken  seats.  "I  shouldn't  have  vent- 
ured  to  disturb  you,  if  I  had  not  something  of  im. 
ponance  to  say." 

"I'm  very  willing  to  see  you,  Mr.  Winship,"  Traf- 
•ord  said,  with  a  faint  suggestion  of  friendliness. 

My  business  may  be  briefly  stated,"  Winship  con- 
tinued, but  ray  morives  may  require  a  word  of  ex- 
planation." 

.'.T.'"  *""«'y  a*  your  service  for  anything." 
Six  months  ago,"  Winship  pursued,  with  some 
evident  difficulty,  "you  oflired  my  sister  and  myself  a 
307 


nil    ': 
r!    :( 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


large  .um  of  money.    That  i,  ,o  say.  while  no  d^fi 

You're  quite  right." 

f«s  Jo  bf  n  K  '  '"°"'''  *'"•  We  meant  that  re- 
the  matter  ?f  '  """  '"'  "'s""'  ""'''  "considered 
mL-"  '""  ""  '*'"  •"  **"*  "■"«  f"-'  of 

"I  am." 

'•We  should  be  willing  to  accept  it." 

The  amount  is  of  no  consequence     NwA»,  «f 
could  ever  use  the  money  for  outZs.   "l^t/af  w" 
«e  concerned.  ,ts  transference  to  our  names  would  be  ^ 
cTal  T"'*^-    ^  f""^  "'  ^'y  "-"^''-^  open  to  the 

"Couldn't  we  discuss  the  subject    Mr    WJn.k  „ 
wAout  bringing  that  point  up  agibf"         ^'"*'''' 

shi^s'tr^ni:".^""'"^  °'^"^''''^''' '-  -"<*  Win- 
"I'll  try."  he  said,  briefly. 
I'll  tell  you  why."  TraflFord  explained.     "I  know 
you're  domg  this  for  my  daughter;  and  I've  reached  T 
pomt  where  I  can't  bear  that  Lre'sho  J  b^  W  .tts 
of  speech  m  anything  where  she's  concerned." 

That,  nght,"  Winship  said,  with  more  emodon 
308 


THE  GIANTS  SiR£,\GTH 

of  tone  than  he  had  displayed  hitherto.  "I  oueht  to 
have  remembered  it-especially  a,  my  errand  here  this 
mornmg  >s  to  say  that  my  sister  and  I  want  to  bury  the 
sword  at  your  daughter's  feet." 

"In  what  way,  Mr.  Winship.?  Will  you  be  good 
enough  to  tell  me  exactly  what  you  and  Miss  Winship 
mean  ?  •^ 

"Our  impulses  are  different.  My  sister's  is  a  very 
simple  one.  She  has  always  treated  Miss  Trafford 
hai^hly-unjustly.  But  she  has  done  it  with  a  sort  of 
kickmg  against  the  pricks.  Now  that  she  realizes  her 
goodness,  her  elevation  of  character,  she  is  ready  to  do 
anythmg,  however  hard,  to  make  amends.  It's  not  an 
unusual  manifestation  of  remorse.  My  own  motives 
are  somewhat  more  complicated  —  just  as  the  whole 
question  is  a  complicated  one.     I  understand  that  Miss 

J^.r°.  . !'  *°  ^  ""'"'^^  '"  »  f'^  days  to  the  Duke 
of  Wiltshire.  Well,  I  rebelled  against  that  when  she 
told  me  yesterday— for  you  may  not  know  that  I  saw 
her  yesterday.  But  the  night  brings  counsel,  and  I've 
come  to  see  that,  in  all  the  circumstances,  it's  perhaps 
the  best  thing  for  every  one.  Wiltshire  is  a  good  man. 
and,  if  he  can't  make  her  happy,  he  will  at  least  sur- 
round her  with  love  and  kindness.  I'm  the  only  one 
who  could  have  made  her  happy—" 

"And  you  wouldn't  do  it,"  Trafford  broke  in.  "You 
threw  away  your  chance." 

"I  don't  think  I  really  had  it.  The  Cid  and  Chimene 
were  not  separated  by  so  impassable  a  barrier  as  she 
Md  I.  At  all  events,  if  I've  made  a  raisttke  I'm  ready 
309 


m 


If  }l 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

to  pay  the  penalty.    She's  not  happy,  and  she's  not 
well.    Any  one  can  see  that    I  think  it  might  help  her 
towards  being  both  if  she  knew  I  had  taken  the  money. 
She  feels  strongly  on  the  point— more  strongly,  I  fancy 
than  any  of  us  ia  aware  of." 

"That  is,  she  thinks— mind  you,  I'm  speaking  quite 
calmly,  Mr.  Winship,  I'm  merely  trying  to  state  the  case 
as  It  is  — she  thinks  I've  done  you  and  your  family  a 
wrong,  and  she  would  be  happier  if  she  thought  I  had 
righted  it." 
"I  think  that's  her  conviction." 
"And  you're  willing  to  make  it  seem  as  if  I  had  right- 
ed It,  in  order  that  she  may  be  more  at  peai  -." 

"Quite  so.  Miss  TrafFord  need  never  know  any- 
thing more  than  that  I  have  taken  the  money.  Before 
she  is  married  I  shall  have  sailed  for  New  York,  where 
I  mean  to  live.  It's  hardly  likely  that  our  paths  wiU 
cross  again;  and  so,  in  the  course  of  time— " 

"May  I  ask  if  you  are  going  to  America  also  on 
my  daughter's  account  ?" 

"Only  partially.  The  time  has  come  for  me  to  return 
there,  in  any  case.  I'm  only  hastening  my  departure." 
For  a  few  minutes  there  was  silence.  Winship, 
having  stated  his  case,  had  little  more  to  add.  TrafFord 
looked  musingly  at  the  floor,  and  even  when  he  spoke 
he  did  not  lift  his  eyes. 

"Look  here,  Winship,"  he  said  at  last,  "why  shouldn't 
you  wait  a  few  days  and  take  my  daughter  with  you  f " 

There  was  a  second  or  two  of  dead  stillness  before 
Winship  replied,  "I  don't  undersund." 
310 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"It's  easy  enough,  however,"  Trafford  pursued,  stiU 

D^oV^ie^ 
"Oh!"   Winship  started. 

"  He  came  here  just  now  to  release  her.  He'd  learned 
diat  Paula  didn't  love  him-that,  in  fact,  she  loved  you. 
And  since  she  does— and  you  love  her— and  you've  met 
me  half-way  by  offering  to  take  the  money  — why 
shouldn't  we — ?"  ' 

"I  didn't  expect  this,"  Winship  gasped. 
"No,  of  course  you  didn't.    Naturally  it  would  put 
you  back  m  the  same  position  as  before— before  you 
dealt  that  blow  at  me  in  June.    Now,  don't  speak, 
Wmship.     Let  me  give  you  the  thing  from  my  point  of 
view.      Trafford   looked    up   and   spoke  with   more 
animation.    "You've  grown  up  in  the  idea  of  working 
off  on  me  a  bit  of  family  revenge.    Chance  put  you 
in  the  way  of  doing  it.     You  would  have  carried  off 
my  daughter,  and  left  me  childless.    You  would  have 
done  It  in  such  a  way  that  the  very  manner  of  her  going 
vnth  you  would  have  been  the  severest  condemnation 
of  my  life  and  me.    You  didn't  quite  succeed,  and  yet 
you  haven't  wholly  failed.    My  daughter  stands  by  me 
before  the  worid;  she  only  condemns  me  in  secret,  she 
only  shrinks  from  me  by  ways  which  she  thinks  I  don't 
see  or  understand.    As  a  matter  of  appearance  she's 
still  my  child,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  I've  lost  her.  You 
see,  then,  that  you've  done  the  most  important  part  of 
your  work— you've  effected  between  her  and  me  that 
sort  of  moral  separation  that  nothing  can  ever  heal. 
3" 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Whatever  happMs  now.  whatever  turn  event,  may 
take,  .he  II  never  be  to  me  again-what  she  used  to  be 
You  see,  you  ve  done  as  much  as  that.    It's  part  of 
what  you  wanted,  isn't  it  ?" 

Winship  hesitated  a  minute  before  replyine  "  Yes  " 
he  said  at  last  r '    6        * «. 

"But  there's  one  thing  you  haven't  realized,"  Traf- 
tord  went  on,  in  the  same  calm  voice.  "You've  made 
me  suffer,  but  I'm  not  the  only  one.  I'm  not  sure, 
even,  that  I  m  the  one  who  suffers  most  You  couldn't 
have  guessed  beforehand  what  it  would  mean  to  a 
nature  like  my  little  girl's  to  lose  her  faith  in  me.  But 
you  must  know  it  now,  if  you  saw  her  yesterday.    She 

W  V°^  -t  !^''  ''•'""  y°"  "^  •'"  fi"«.  d'd  she. 
Winship?  That  s  your  work.  As  the  Duke  said  this 
morning,  she's  not  dying  merely  because  she  gave  up 
one  man  to  marry  another;  she's  dying  because  she  finds 
herself  in  a  world  so  uinted  tliat  she  can't  breathe  in  it 
You  see,  then,  Winship:  you  wanted  to  kill  me,  and 
you  ve  gone  far  towards  killing  her.  There's  just  one 
thing  that  will  bring  her  back  to  life.  Do  you  want  me 
to  tell  you  what  it  is?"  '      want  me 

Winship  was  gazing  at  Trafford  with  haggard  eyes, 
but  he  did  not  speak.  ' 

"Our  reconciliation."  Trafford  said,  with  the  same 
unemphasized  intensity. 
Winship  rose  slowly  to  his  feet 
"I'm  only  a  man,"  he  said,  hoarsely.    "I've  no 
power  to  work  a  miracle." 
"Then,  for  God's  sake,  couldn't  you  pietend  to  do 
31* 


TOE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

it  ?"  TraflFord  cried,  springing  up  in  his  turn.  "You're 
ready  to  make  sacrifices  for  her  sake,  you're  ready  to 
take  the  money,  you're  ready  to  go  away,  you're  ready 
to  tear  out  your  own  heart  and  hers  too.  Is  it  so  much 
easier  to  do  all  that  than  merely  to  take  the  hand  out- 
stretched  to  you?  True,  it's  my  hand,  the  hand,  you 
wU  say  that  crushed  your  father  and  struck  your 
mother  down;  but  even  so.  wouldn't  you  rather  touch 
it-just  touch  it-than  grind  the  life  out  of  a  sweet 
and  blameless  child  ?    I  know  your  revenge  is  dear  to 

that  I,  Paul  Trafford,  come  pleading  to  you,  as  I  never 
expected  to  plead  to  any  man.  I've  used  men  as  the 
mere  bncks  with  which  to  build  my  castle,  and  yet  I'm 
brought  to  the  necessity  of  begging  you  for  a  recogni- 
tion. Cant  you  afford  to  laugh,  man?  Can't  you 
afford  to  tnumph  over  me  ?  You  couldn't  gloat  at  the 
sight  half  so  much  if  you  saw  me  in  my  coffin  as  you 
can  now  in  watching  me  at  your  feet  God  Almighty 
has  put  me  at  your  mercy,  in  menacing  my  poor  child's 
hfe;  but  youd  be  a  monster,  and  not  a  man,  to  keep 
me  there."  "^ 

He  paused,  waiting  for  a  reply;  but  for  a  minute  or 
two  Winship  said  nothing.  He  stood  erect,  his  hands 
behind  his  back,  his  lips  tightly  set,  and  his  deep  eyes 
gazing  off  into  the  distance  above  Trafford's  head 
Trafford  himself  watched  with  an  expression  of  rather 
pitiful  beseeching. 

"I  find  my  posmon  a  very  hard  one,"  Winship  said, 
•lowly.    He  spoke  in  a  low  voice,  but  with  what  seemed 
313 


I'ih 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

to  Trafford  curious  distinctness.    "I  have  to  put  it  'o 
you  crudely-vety  crudely-i„  order  that  you  may  see 
how  hard  ,t  .s     I  thought  I  was  ready  to  make^ny 
sacnfice  for  M.ss  Trafford.  merely  to  give  her  peace  of 
mind.     Now  I  have  to  hesitate  to  save  her  life.     But 
?  "'''"  wwemplated  the  possibility  of  even  a  nomi- 
nal  reconc.hat.on  with  you.    If  it  were  only  a  question 
of  pnvate  enmity,  I  shouldn't  shrink  from  it.    But  it's 
more  than  that.    It's  a  great  point  of  honor.    If  I  do 
as  you  suggest,  I  shall  be  allying  myself,  openly  and 
before  the  world,  with  a  man  whose  life,  work,  and 
character  I  look  upon  as  a  national  evil.    I  shall  be  en- 
tenng  .mo  a  system  of  organized  depredation  which  is 
already  br.ng.ng  our  counter  into  disrepute,  and  may 
lead  .t  to  disaster.     I  shall  be  abandoning  my  own 
pnncples  of  simplicity,  honesty,  and  sUf-respect,  to 

Tr.,  I^**""/  '°  r"l  '°  *''"  "P-^^o^  of  plunder, 
cruelty,  and  greed.  I  must  ask  you  to  forgive  me  fo; 
speak.ng  .n  th.s  way.  I  shouldn't  do  it  if  it  were  not 
for  the  sake  of  making  my  position  clear.  You  must 
see  yourself  that  .t  was  one  thing  for  me  to  try  to  take 
your  daughter  out  of  the  life  you  sUnd  for.  but  it's  quite 
another  to  be  w.lling  to  go  into  it  with  her.  But  that's 
what  .t  comes  to.  However  nominal  my  act  might  be. 
Aat,  what  I  should  be  doing.  I  repeat  that  I  can 
forget  all  the  reasons  I've  had  for  personal  hostility. 
But  I  can  t  forget  that  you're  the  chief  of  that  group  of 
men  who,  as  I  believe  in  my  heart,  are  the  corrupters-" 

^«  »T  'ir'™.""'  ^°"  *"°'  ''""^"  explanations  of  that 
•ort,     Irafford  interrupted,  without  show  of  anger. 

314 


THE  GIANTTS  STRENGTH 

"I've  been  treated  to  such  a  lot  of  eloquence  on  the 
•ubject,  at  one  time  or  another,  that  I  know  in  advance 
exactly  what  you  want  to  say.     I  shall  only  ask  you  to 
remember  that  if  I've  never  said  anything  in  my  own 
defence,  and  if  I  say  nothing  now,  it  doesn't  follow  that 
I've  no  defence  at  aU.    At  the  same  time  I  may  admit 
diat  I  see  your  point,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  isn't 
flattering  to  me,  I'm  not  without  a  certain  respect  for 
your  poiition.    Don't  give  me  an  answer  now.    Think 
over  it.    Then,  if  you  can't  do  it,  why  we  shall  just  have 
to  bear  the  consequences,  that's  all.    But  remember 
this,  Winship:  that  if  what  you  call  your  honor  out- 
weighs what  you  call  your  love,  and  my  Utile  girl  dies, 
it  won't  be  because  you  wouldn't  marry  her.     She's 
no  such  weakling  as  to  break  her  heart  for  that.    It 
will  be,  as  I've  said  already,  because  the  world  will  have 
become  unfit  for  her  to  live  in.    Now  go  and  think  it 
all  over.     If  we  talk  about  it  any  longer  we  may  say 
the  wrong  thing.     Remember  that  you're  on  the  point 
of  making  a  big  decision,  and  take  your  time.    To-day 
is  Tuesday.     Suppose  you  were  to  come  to  see  me  again 
on  Thursday  afternoon  ?" 

After  further  discussion  it  was  settled  in  this  way, 
and  Winship  rose  to  go.  He  was  at  the  door  when  he 
paused  and  turned. 

"It  often  happens,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  of  voice  he  had 
not  usee'  hitherto,  "that  men  who  are  furthest  apart  in 
matters  of  principle  find  some  place  for  mutual  sym- 
pathy when  they  come  into  personal  contact.  I've 
been  twice  put  in  situations  where  I've  had  to  speak 
3«S 


i^ 


THE  CiANTS  STRENGTH 
out  my  nund  with  lomething  moi«  than  plainii«..  .«J 

I  ve  had  to  .ay  ha.  made  me  feel  a.  if  I  were  .honrinJ 
mto  the  air.  I  .ho„.d  like  to  add.  hoTv"  t "^ 
a^in ..^  """""^  '"'  •»•  '°  l-P"  in  tha't  n^iL' 
%'IS  **'"  '''"'^•"  '^"'f'''''  ""ponded,  warmly 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


IN  ipite  of  what  he  knew  of  Marah's  changed  atti- 
tude towards  Paula,  it  was  a  surprise  to  W-iship 
to  find  that  she  counselled  him  at  once  to  fall  in  with 
TrafFord's  plans. 

"It's  a  case  that  admits  of  no  hesitation,"  she  said, 
as  they  talked  the  subject  over  in  the  long,  red  studio 
that  night.    "If  anything  were  to  happen  to  her^" 

"Why  should  you  suggest  that  ?" 

"  I  n>"«  suggest  it,  Roger.  And  if  anything  did  hap- 
pen to  her,  it  would  be  little  comiort  to  you  then  to  re- 
member that  you  hadn't  done  violence  to  your  scruples. 
I  don't  deny  that  you're  in  a  difficult  position.  When 
a  man|s  ri^t  course  is  to  throw  in  his  fortunes  with  what 
he  believes  to  be  wrong,  he  offers  a  curious  problem  to 
the  casuist.  And  yet  it  seems  to  me  there's  no  doubt 
as  to  what  you  ought  to  do.  We're  human  beings  first 
and  mcmbetB  of  a  social  order  afterwards.  If  Paula  is 
as  ill  as  you  say,  there  can  be  no  thought  for  any  one 
but  her." 

They  sat  at  the  table  from  which  the  servant  had 
cleared  away  their  simple  evening  meal.    Marah  had 
brought  her  paints  and  brushes  to  the  light,  and  Win- 
ship  had  opened  mechanically  a  portfolio  of  drawings, 
3»7 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


ill 
liiiii  I 


■t  which  he  did  not  loot     u. 

"Ti,— >  L     J  ""uc,  i  snould  have  to  share  It  " 

That  .hardonyou," Win.hipsaid,ab.entlv  " V    m 

would  have  it     It'«  n„  •      '"""B'"-      And  you 

ing  a  great   acriL  "o  -?  '"'t'"«  "  ''y°"  ^'"  ""k- 

"I  d'^n't  thr^'re'r"^  r'lf  f ':  '"""•" 

come  entirely  from  the  featibyin^^^^ 

pnce  I  ought  not  to  pay  "        ^  ^  ^  happiness  at  a 

.ome  one  e^l^the  monV'^l  h  PwoKr"  °" 
fied  .n  wasting  on  yourself  tZ7.  ?'"'''";>  J"""- 
If  your  only  thought  w„  of  wTSt  •^'**°"  ''•"• 

wouldn't  do  it.  YouM  be  the  1  ^"^  ^^  '°  ^  ^°" 
the  whole  world  and  I.^in^  hts^o^^'^f  °  ^  «"■•""« 
say  that  that  was  the  light  at  Xh  I  iJ^^  "?'*° 
June.     I  didn't  see  th,t  %.  '°°*"''  "*  «  'n 

AoughtofPauLTnly     fxTarr^^^^^^^^^^  ' 

that  good  things  could  J         ''''""'"'''"'* "»«« 

Now!  fee.  asTlircou,  XbeTnr  "' ^'^'^''^ 
fcer  the  necessary  tepa  Ji^."'"  '""«  ^"""S''  '°  ««ke 

318 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

She  stopped,  with  a  little  quiver  in  her  voice.  Bend, 
ing  her  head,  she  made  sharp,  tiny  strokes  on  the  un* 
finished  miniature  before  her. 

"  But  we  must  be  clear  in  advance,"  she  pursued,  after 
■  few  minutes  of  silence,  "that  the  price  you'd  have  to 
pay  would  be  a  heavy  one.  You  mustn't  be  blind  to 
that  fact  now,  and  indignant  when  the  world  calls  you 
to  the  reckoning  afterwards.  In  the  first  place,  you'll 
be  looked  upon  as  a  successful  fortune-hunter.  Oh, 
you  needn't  frown,  because  no  one,  outside  the  Traffords 
and  ourselves,  will  have  any  other  opinion  about  you. 
They'll  ignore  the  fact  that  Paula  is  a  girl  whom  any 
man  might  be  eager  to  marry  for  herself.  Even  our 
own  best  friends  won't  give  you  the  benefit  of  the  doubt 
in  this  case." 

"I  shall  be  able  to  live  without  it,"  he  interrupted, 
dryly. 

"Of  course  you  will.  But  you  won't  be  able  to  live 
without  many  a  twinge  of  pain  arising  from  the  fact. 
And  there'll  be  even  worse,  Roger.  In  our  little  group 
of  intimates,  where  you've  been  the  chief,  where  your 
ideas  have  converted  so  many  to  sane  and  simple  views 
of  life,  where  you've  inspired  them  to  go  home,  and 
fight  against  greed  and  corruption,  and  to  work  for 
whatever  is  pure  and  lovely  in  American  life,  from  the 
aspect  of  the  streets  to  the  attitude  of  the  mind— there 
you'll  be  looked  upon  as  worse  than  a  lost  leader,  as 
more  despicable  than  a  turncoat.  After  all,  a  man  has 
a  right  to  change  his  mind,  and  to  adopt  new  principles 
if  he  wants  to;  but  they  won't  allow  you  that  privilege. 
319 


W'l 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

YouTI  be  muideicd  limpljr  u  .  tmitor-M  th«  man 
who  denied  hit  faith,  and  went  over  to  the  enemy,  for 
the  sake  of  a  big  prize.  There,  again,  you'll  be  able  to 
live  without  their  good  opinion;  the  very  magnitude  of 
your  fortunei  will  enable  you  to  do  that;  but  you  mutt 
ftce  the  trial  of  becoming  the  object  of  their  acorn,  and 
of  being  made  to  feel  it.  The  very  fact  that  you'll  be 
■o  far  removed  from  your  old  friends  in  circumstance 
wiU  make  you  want  to  cling  to  them  all  the  more  in 
heart;  and  they'll  reject  you." 

Winship  still  puffed  pensively  at  his  pipe,  looking  far 
away  into  the  darkness  of  the  long,  dimly  lighted 
room. 

"And  yet,"  the  continued,  speaking  calmly,  "you 
wouldn't  be  the  first  man  to  live  under  the  unjust  con- 
demnation of  the  world.    It  isn't  so  hard,  if  you  once 
«eel  yourself  to  do  it.    It  will  be  easier  in  your  case  than 
in  most,  for  the  simple  reason  that,  in  your  position, 
you'll  be  surrounded  by  a  host  of  new  friends  and 
flatterers  who'll  stand  well  between  you  and  those  you've 
left  behind.     Betides,  there  will  be  a  lot  of  people  by 
whom  you  will  be  treated  with  sincere  respect,  at  the 
man  who  got  the  beat  of  the  great  Paul  Trafford.  You 
^11  be  the  conqueror't  conqueror,  and  that  fact  alone 
will  give  you  a  high  place  among  those  whote  approval 
you  despise.    But  having  won  that,  you'll  have  to  Uve 
up  to  It.    Having  accepted  the  position,  you'll  have  to 
show  yourself  equal  to  its  tasks.    All  your  own  simple 
tastes  and  habits  of  life  must  be  abandoned.    You'd 
nave  to  give  up  your  art—" 
320 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"No,"  he  thundered,  bringing  hi*  clinched  hand  down 
on  the  table. 

"  Yei,  Roger.  You  need  only  reflect  a  minute  to  see 
how  incongruoui  your  art  will  have  become  in  your  new 
■urroundingt.  An  artitt  ii  enentially  a  worker,  a 
toiler,  and,  relatively,  a  poor  man.  You,  on  the  con- 
trary, will  have  become  one  of  the  few  very  rich  men  in 
the  whole  world.  You  can  see  at  once  how  absurd  it 
would  be  to  go  on  painting  portraits  at  five  or  ten  or  even 
twenty  thousand  dollars  apiece.  In  the  first  place, 
you'd  be  taking  the  bread  out  of  other  men's  mouthn; 
and  in  the  second,  your  new  duties  wouldn't  allow  you 
the  time.  The  first  thought  of  a  man  as  rich  as  you  will 
be  must  be  his  moneys— the  care  of  it,  the  spending  of  it, 
or  even  the  giving  of  it  away.  Art  will  mean  no  more 
to  you  then  than  a  crutch  would  mean  to  an  eagle. 
You've  got  to  face  that  fact.  I'm  only  putting  it  before 
you  now  so  that  you  won't  rebel  against  it  when  it's  too 
late.  It  will  be  easier  for  you  to  give  it  up  beforehand, 
of  your  own  free  choice,  than  to  have  the  renunciation 
forced  upon  you,  when  you  don't  want  to  make  it. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  you'll  have  Paula.  There'll  be 
that  compensation  at  least.  If  there's  to  be  a  revolu- 
tion in  your  life,  it  will  be  the  kind  of  revolution  that 
comes  to  a  man  when  he's  torn  away  from  the  interests 
of  this  worid,  to  go  and  live  in  heaven." 

Marah  said  much  more,  but  Winship  followed  with 
only  a  wavering  attention.    He  was  realizing  with 
greater  fulness  what  his  acceptance  of  Traffotd's  prop- 
osition would  mean.     The  reversal  of  his  aims  became 
321 


THE  GLWrS  STRENGTH 

more  complete  as  he  saw  it  in  the  light  of  her  direct, 
femmme  observations.    Hitherto  he  had  thought  chiefly 
of  the  change  to  be  produced  within  himself-of  the 
giving  up  of  his  pursuit  of  vengeance,  and  of  the  aban- 
donment  of  those  altruistic  social  principles  which  he 
had  urged  upon  others  as  being  of  the  American  te- 
pubhcs  very  k,u1.    He  had  not  seen  himself  as  he 
would  figure  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  formed  his  world 
—the  men  and  women  who  had  looked  up  to  him,  who 
had  encouraged  him,  and  whose  mouth-to-mouth  ap. 
plause  had  been  a  large  element  in  his  present  incipient 
celebnty.    They  were  the  generous,  eager,  enthusiastic 
young  souls  whom  Paris  had  drawn  from  every  comer 
of  the  Union,  to  send  them  back  again  with  ideas 
heightened,  broadened,  and  clarified  by  touch  with  the 
accumulated  wisdom  of  mankind.    For  ten  yeais  Win- 
ship  had  gone  in  and  out  among  them,  sharing  their 
ambmons,  their  follies,  and  their  tasks,  gradually  sober- 
mg  to  one  steady  vision  of  the  good  they  would  all  do 
when  they  "went  home."    His  heart  had  gone  out  to 
theirs,  and  their  hearts  to  him,  in  that  sort  of  trust 
which  contains  the  element  of  a  life-long  bond,  defying 
chance  and  change.    It  would  have  been  hard  enough 
to  turn  his  back  on  them  in  any  case;  it  was  harder  still 
to  know  that  after  he  had  done  it  they  would  hoot  him 
down  with  pitiless,  jeering  anathemas.    They  were  still 
young  and  ardent  enough  to  show  no  mercy  on  the  man 
who  could  sell  his  ideals  for  a  fortune. 

When  Marah  went  to  bed  he  paced  up  and  down  the 
studio  thinking  of  them.    He  came  back  from  them  to 
3M 


THE  CaANTS  STRENGTH 

hinuelf  again,  and  passed  from  himself  to  the  thought 
of  the  beloved  art  he  must  abandon  with  the  rest.  He 
had  not  accepted  Marah's  opinion  when  she  first  ex- 
pressed it,  but,  little  by  little,  as  he  reflected,  he  saw  that 
she  was  right.  The  hugely  wealthy  portrait-painter 
would  be  futile  and  anomalous.  Art  was  in  some  sense 
the  daughter  of  necessity,  and  he  would  become  in- 
capable of  work  when  he  had  entered  into  the  Nirvana 
of  Paul  Trafford's  money. 

He  went  about  the  room  taking  up  and  laying  down 
the  familiar  objects  connected  with  his  painting.  It 
seemed  to  him  already  as  if  he  came  back  to  them  like 
a  disembodied  spirit,  unable  to  handle  them  any  more. 
He  drew  the  cloth  away  from  the  newly  finished  por- 
trait on  the  easel,  and  stood  gazing  at  it,  as  if  bidding  it 
a  mute  farewell.  When  he  lit  his  candle  and  went  to 
bed  he  knew  that  his  mind  was  made  up.  He  knew,  in 
fact,  that  it  had  been  made  up  from  the  beginning. 
Whatever  might  be  his  pain  at  forsaking  his  old  life,  he 
could  have  no  real  hesitation  when  Paula  had  need  of 
him  to  make  hers  anew. 

On  Thursday  afternoon  he  went  to  give  TraflFord  his 
reply. 

For  father  and  daughter  the  intervening  time  had 
passed  in  a  kind  of  lull.  From  the  fact  that  Trafford 
said  nothing  of  the  purpose  o*'Winship's  previous  visit, 
Paula  gathered  that  something  was  in  suspense.  As 
TraflFord  watched  her,  it  seemed  to  him  that  she  wag 
better  and  brighter,  as  if  her  new  freedom  had  brought 
her  relief  already.  Her  step  was  lighter  as  she  went 
3»3 


THE  GIAhJTS  STRENGTH 

about  the  house  and  in  her  cheek  there  wa.  a  tinge  of 
color  hke  the  fi„t  hint  of  coming  dawn.  When  « 
luncheon  on  Thursday  he  asked  her  to  renuin  at  home 
dunng  the  afternoon,  her  blush  betrayed  the  knowledge 
that  some  deasive  moment  was  approaching 

Trafford  waited  in  the  small  sitting-room  that  had 
oeen  his  wife  s,  adjoining  Paula's  boudoir 

I.  "^''*^JT'  ^°'^^'"  ^  '""*^-  "»"<»  we  old  ones 
have  tulnbled  .mo  the  midst  of  a  mangely  constructed 
generation.  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  can^i^idetstand^^ 
t^rn^'Zr^  fellow  who,  I  suppose,  is  typical  of 
the  twentieth  oenturjr,  hesitating  to  many  the  loveliest 
girl  and  the  biggest  fortune  in  the  world.  By  ndl 
.t  was  different  in  my  dme.  It's  true  that  in  my  rime 
there  were  no  such  heaps  of  money  lying  around,  to  be 
scooped  up  with  a  wedding-ring.  I've  set  the  ne;  pace 
n  Aat.  I  ve  pded  up  wealth,  tiU  the  ve^r  thought  of  it 
IS  sttggenng,  and  it's  just  as  if  nobody  wanted  h  " 

He  smiled  bitterly  to  himself,  as  he  made  the  leflec 
hon  while  there  floated  through  his  mind  a  verse  of 

JeVnTnTh^^  '''  '°""''  '  -"-  '"  -"  -^'-^' 

"Far  man  r^alketk  in  a  vain  shadow,  and  iisqui^h 
wAo  shall  gather  them." 

"It's  almost  as  if  those  words  were  written  for  me." 
hemu^d  on     "IVe  done  the  thing,  and  what's  the 
good  of  It,  after  aU?    I've  heaped  up  the  riches,  but 
3M 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

iHio'i  to  gather  them  ?  Paula  would  rather  be  rid  of 
die  money  than  uke  it;  George  ha.  a.  much  a.  he 
know,  what  to  do  with;  I  go  begging  to  old  Roger  Win- 
.hip  ,  .on  to  take  the  .tuff  off  my  hand.,  and  he  hesitate, 
to  do  me  the  favor.  Lord!  if  I  could  wave  a  fairy  wand 
and  conjure  it  all  back  to  where  it  came  from.  I'll  be 
blowed  ,f  I  wouldn't  do  it.  It',  a  curiou.  Nemesi.  to 
overtake  a  man  hke  me.  I've  had  the  most  wupen- 
dou.  luck  that  any  one  ever  had  on  earth;  and  now  I 
can  only  .ay  that  I've  walked  in  a  vain  .hadow,  and 
dinjuieted  myMlf  in  vain." 

Winship  came  at  four.    From  the  manner  of  hi. 
entermfc  Trafford  knew  that  thi.  much  of  the  cauM  was 

^'u  M  "?:*\'"' '~'''"«  ""^  t»«.  erect,  and  gmve, 
and  held  out  his  hand.  Trafford  ro.e  and  took  i^with 
.udden  gravity  on  hi.  part  For  a  few  .econds  they 
wood,  with  hands  clasped,  waring  each  other  in  the 
•ye..  It  was  difficult  for  either  to  find  words  to  expten 
the  situation. 

"You  needn't  say  anything,"  Trafford  .aid,  at  latt. 
a.  they  moved  apart.  "I  know  you  mean  to  do  it,  and 
that  you  11  do  It  well.  It  will  be  for  me  to  show  that  I 
appreciate  your  action." 

"It  will  only  be  necessary  for  each  of  us  to  remember 
that  whatever  we  do  we  do  for  Paula's  sake,  to  make 
what  s  difficult  easy." 

"  That's  well  spoken,  Winship.     You  can  trust  me 
call  her  "       "*  **  ^  ""  '""^  y°"  ^"'*-    Now  let  me 
When  she  appeared  on  the  threshold,  the  .cene 
325 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

brought  back  so  painfully  her  similar  enmr,  on  the 
srnidar  occasK,n  m  June,  that  Trafford  ha^ed  f«! 
ward  and  took  her  by  the  hand. 

"Come  bere^dear."  he  whispered.    "Let  me  lead 

you  to  h.m.    -n^ere.  take  her.-'i;  added  to  WinshTp; 

and  no  man  on  earth  ever  received  so  rare  a  rift." 

No  man  on  earth  could  value  it  more  preciously." 

Wnsh.p  returned.    Taking  her  hands  gently  Tws 

own  he  stooped  and  kissed  them  both.    '      '        "" 

The  whole  action  was  so  sudden  that  it  took  Paula  by 

su.pnse     W,th  her  hands  still  in  Winship's.  she  looked 

at_her  father,  and  from  her  father  back  aglin  to  Wi.^ 

h^dHT'"''?  'r  ""T '"  '*""  "^«''-    '«^"«ver  color 
had  been  m  her  face  died  away  now 

h.Z*  TT'  ^'^''"  '^"'^'"^  '*P'*'*''  "*«  *e  two 
beam  who  love  you  most  have  become  one  in  you." 

"Is  It  true,  Roger?"  ' 

"It's  true,  Paula— after  all." 

JUswfa'rr.''"^"  "'"•'•"-•«'•<'-'- 
"You  wish  it,  papa  f" 

J'i.vt°'  «""'*•   /"  8°'""8  »  the  man  you  love,  you 
go  with  all  my  good-will."  ' 

"And  without-^thout  the  money  ?" 

The  question  was  unexpected.  For  a  moment  nd- 
ther  of  the  men  replied.  When  TraflFord  spoke  it  was 
stammenngly. 

,"!?'''~''e's— going  to  take  it,  dear." 
Then  I  can't  let  him,"  she  said,  firmly.    She  with- 
3*6 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

drew  her  hands  and  fell  back  a  step  or  two.    "  It's  what 
I WM  afraid  of."  she  went  on,  speaking  in  tones  of  quiet 
deas.on.       I  thought  he  had  come  to  say  so  the  other 
day.     But  I  could  never  consent  to  it." 
I' But,  darling-"  Trafford  began  to  implore. 
"No,  papa.     I've  thought  it  all  over  in  the  last  two 
days,  and  I  see  what  he  would  be  doing  for  me.    He 
knows  how  I've  Keen  suffering.    And  to  save  me  he'g 
willmg  to  commit  a  gr^at  apostasv  " 
•'But,  Paula-"  ' 

"You  needn't  speak,  Roger.     I  know  your  heart 
better  than  you  do  yourself.    No  one  has  firmer  con- 
'/ictions  than  you;  no  one  is  more  sure  of  what  he  con- 
siders right.    And  yet,  for  my  sake,  you'd  renounce 
what  you  beheve  in,  just  as,  in  a  time  of  persecution, 
some  Chnstian  might  renounce  his  God,  and  his  eternal 
hopes,  for  the  sake  of  a  heathen  mr.den.     But  how 
can  I  accept  such  sacrifice  ?    The  Duke  of  Wiltshire 
wouldn  t  let  me  do  far  less  than  that  for  him.     Papa, 
dear,    she  pursued,  "you  mustn't  be  offended  at  any- 
Uiing  I  say;  but  it  must  be  clear  to  us  all  that  Roger 
hasn  t  the  same  ideas  about  life  that— that  we  have. 
I  don't  say  that  his  are  necessarily  right  and  ours  wrong; 
they  re  only  different.     He  couldn't  possibly  give  up  his 
and  accept  ours  without  doing  violence  to  his  nature. 
He  may  pretend  to  be  a  convert,  but  he  isn't;  and  we 
know  that  nothing  is  so  hollow,  or  so  hard  to  keep  up, 
as  a  conversion  in  which  there's  no  faith." 
"But  I  should  put  faith  into  it,  Paula." 
"Don't  say  that,  Roger.    It  pains  me.    I  like  to 
327 


THE  CaANTS  STRENGTH 

know  that  you're  living  for  your  own  ainu,  and  for 
nothing  else.  For  you  to  abandon  them  would  teem  to 
me  a  good  deal  more  than  a  desertion.  I  could  never 
lend  myself  to  such  a  plan,  or  be  satisfied  to  see  you 
cany  it  out.  No,  Roger.  Your  way  isn't  ours,  nor 
ours  yours." 

"You  didn't  think  so  six  months  ago,"  Trafford 
broke  in,  despairingly. 

"I've  learned  a  great  deal  in  six  months,  papa.    I 
undersund  now  things  that  I  knew  nothing  about  then." 
What  things  ?"  he  demanded,  with  the  quickness 
of  one  who  feels  touched  where  he  is  sensitive. 

"  Vety  serious  things.  I've  thought  about  them,  and 
read  about  them,  and  prayed  about  them,  until  I've 
obtained  some  smaO  degree  of  insight.  I  know  that 
some  are  higher  and  some  are  lower,  and  that  Roger's 
are  the  higher.  How  could  I  ask  him  to  come  down  f 
How  could  I  bear  to  be  the  very  instrument  of  such  a 
renunciation  ?  You  mustn't  feel  hurt,  papa,  at  my 
saying  this.  Your  life  is  my  life,  and  I'm  going  to  lead 
it;  but  I  couldn't  let  Roger  come  and  share  it.  He'd 
be  wretched  with  us,  and,  when  we  saw  it,  we'd  be 
wretched  with  him.  Better  let  each  live  for  his  own- 
he  in  his  way,  and  you  and  I  together." 

"You  and  I  togethei^n  the  lower  way,"  TraflFord 
said,  sadly. 

"  I  don't  say  so,  papa.    I've  been  thinking  that  over, 

too,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  diflferent  generations  have 

different  uses.    You  belong  to  the  great  age  of  material 

effort    That's  the  age  we've  been  living  in,  and  there 

3*8 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

miw  be  good  in  it    It  ha.n't  only  made  the  country 
nch  and  |Kmerful,  but  it  hai  developed  the  gieat  itor^ 
houje  God  ha.  kept  laid  up  in  it,  until  mankind  had 
need  to  come  and  use  it.    That',  been  part  of  your  work, 
papa,  and  «  would  be  wicked  to  .ay  that  it  ha.n't  its 
noble  aspects.    But  mayn't  it  be  that,  now  that «,  much 
of  It  IS  done,  we  re  passing  on  to  other  phases-phase,  in 
which  we  sha  n't  have  to  think  so  much  of  the  material, 
and  so  may  be  free  to  lift  up  our  hearts  to  something 
dse  f    Aren  t  there  signs  of  it  everywhere-among  all 
dasMS  of  our  people?    Don't  think  me  foolish,"  she 
contmued.  spreading  her  hands  apan  in  a  gesture  of 
appeal-  dont  fancy  that  I  suppose  for  a  moment 
Aat  I  can  teach  you.     But  I've  had  to  go  over  it  aU  in 
the  last  few  months,  and  it  does  seem  to  me  as  if  I  could 
feel  the  snr  of  a  great  spiritual  awakening.    As  I  look 
over  the  new  books,  as  I  turn  the  pages  of  the  maga- 
xaut,  as  I  listen  to  sermons  or  read  reports  of  them,  as  I 
«ee  m  the  papers  the  new  kinds  of  eflfbrt  that  are  being 
put  forth,  I  can't  help  the  conviction  that  our  whole 
country  is  groaning  and  travailing  in  pain  together  to 
burst  its  bonds  and  let  it.  k>u1  bo  free  " 
"How?"  ^ 

"By  getting  beyond  the  idea  that  the  greatest  thing 
in  the  world  is  to  make  money  and  live  in  luxury,"  .he 
repUed,  promptly.  "We've  only  had  to  do  it  to  see 
how  unsatisfying  it  is,  and  we're  feeling  after  something 
better.  There  are  people  going  before  us  to  show  us 
the  way,  and  the  impulse  is  coming  to  the  rest  of  us  to 
press  in  behind  and  follow  on." 
329 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

"She  looki  like  a  prophetew,"  Tnifford  whitpeied  to 
Wuthip, 

"I  often  think,"  ihe  continued,  heedlen  of  the  in. 
terruption,  "that  when  God  kept  our  continent  hidden 
for  lo  many  generations  it  was  in-order  that  we  might 
have  virgin  ground  on  which  to  begin  all  over  again, 
with  a  civilization  that  could  be  truer  to  the  principles 
of  Christ.    I  believe  that  in  our  heart  of  hearu  we  know 
it.    I  believe  that  there's  not  an  American  anywhere 
who  doesn't  feel,  in  some  obscure  depth  of  his  bein& 
t}.at  we've  missed  our  calling  hitherto.    We've  been  sent 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor  and  heal  the  broken- 
hearted,  and  we  haven't  done  it.    But  I'm  sure  there's 
agrowing  sense  that  we  ought  to,  and  that  we  must 
There  are  men  and  women  starting  up  in  all  directions 
to  tell  us  how.    Roger's  one  of  them,  and  I  couldn't 
call  him  back.    He  has  his  word  of  the  message  to 
deliver,  and  I  couldn't  ask  him  to  be  silent    I  can  see 
now  that  what  happened  last  June  was  for  the  best— 
the  very  best    Roger,  dear,"  she  continued,  turning 
towards  Winship,  "I  thank  you  for  what  you're  willing 
to  do  for  me.    You  know  I  love  you— that  I  shall  al- 
ways  love  you.    I  haven't  made  a  secret  of  it,  and  I 
never  shall.    But  I  couldn't— I  couldn't—" 

She  faltered,  her  hands  crossed  on  her  breast,  and 
her  lips  quivering. 
The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  helplessly. 
"You  see  that  you  and  I  have  to  live  for  such  different 
things  that  no  marriage  —  papa,  darling,  don't  turn 
away,"  she  implored,  as  Trafford  took  two  or  three 
330 


|)  i 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

•tridet  toward!  a  window.  "You  miutn't  be  angiv 
with  me.  You  muitn't  think  I  don't  want  to  lUy  with 
you.  I  do.  I  do.  With  love  like  Roger',  and  mine 
we  can  be  happy  even  if  we're  apart— can't  we.  Roger  f 
—even  if  we  never  lee  each  other  any  more.  Our 
bang  married  is  of  no  consequence,  papa,"  she  went  on, 
following  after  him.  "  It's  one  of  the  beauties  of  such 
a  great,  great  love  that  it  doesn't  want  anything  but  to 
do  the  best  Papa,  papa,"  she  begged,  clinging  to  his 
shoulder,  turn  round,  look  at  me,  kiss  me.  Don't 
thmk  for  a  moment  that  I  can  want  anything  in  this 
world  half  so  much  as  to  see  you  happy  in  the  love  of 
your  little  girl  Roger  doesn't  want  it,  either~do  you, 
Roger  i  Look  at  me,  papa,  and  kiss  me,  and  make  me 
feel  that  you  want  to  keep  me  at  your  side." 

For  a  long  half-minute  Trafford  temained  motion- 
less.  When  he  turned,  it  was  so  suddenly  that  he  shook 
her  from  him.  His  face  was  crimson,  but  he  astonished 
them  both  by  bursting  into  a  loud  and  pealing  laugh 
Paula  stepped  back  from  him,  half  afraid,  half  wonder- 
mg.  Trafford  smote  his  hands  together,  and  laughed 
again,  louder  and  longer  than  before. 

"Gad!"  he  cried,  as  if  stifling  in  his  mirth.  "GadI 
How  easily  the  little  thing  is  taken  inl  Didn't  you  see, 
dear?  Didn't  you  understand?  Why,  it's  all  a  trick 
-^t's  aU  a  bit  of  play-acting.  'Pon  my  soul,"  he  con- 
Onued,  coming  nearer  to  her,  "I  didn't  think  you  could 
be  imposed  upon  like  that.  Roger  isn't  going  to  uke 
the  money,"  he  roared,  seizing  her  in  his  arms  with  a 
passion  that  almost  hurt  her.  "He  isn't  going  to  take 
331 


i 


THE  GLWrs  STRENGTH 

4e  money,  and  I  don't  mean  to  offer  it  You're  to  «,^ 
^mw„houtit.  I.'..U.ettled,„d„„d.,i"?„*:.^ 
to  live  anywhere  and  anyhow  that  .ui«W  and  d^ 
money  can  go  to  blazes     Tl..™'.      i      ^"' .■"**  *• 

to  her  old  papa.    Here,  Roger-I"  "*"»??•«»• 

let  me°'r  ''?.'"'"  r''"/""''  '=''"P»K  *"  •"•«•    "Don't 
J«,mego.    Im,f„,d.     i.„,f^j^     Don't  let  L 

^^••Here.  Roger,"  Trafford  diouted  again.     "Take 

He  flung  her  from  him  with  a  wild  force  that  would 
ar^:  "^^  \rl  i""  r  Win.hip  caugTt  Z  ^S 
arnu     He  laughed  again  ai  he  groped,  like  a  hl,„H 

i«..i.  the  ^loosed  irn^rhtt;^,:;'^^ 


CHAPTER  XXX 

"T^lt  ^°"t,'"  '^"^I"^  P'""<*  •"  himMlf,  when 

I   he  wa.  in  the  comdor.     "It",  done  and  .ettled 

for  ever  and  ever.    By  God  I  I  did  it  well.    VetTfew 

men  would  have  pulled  it  off  like  that.    I  don't  bilievT 

2;;^rf "/"''"  ^*' """''  -••°  would  „;;: 

hiniielfa,Ivedone.    It's  all  over.    I've  lost  her     I'm 

who'"-    .l'»r''"';«*'"«°-    Th-a-v";  -i: 
who  would  have  done  it  like  that." 

Though  he  was  sustained  by  a  sense  of  his  own 

he«...m.  the  way  seemed  long  'between  Paula'    C 

and  h,s  own  hbra,yK,ffice.    He  nopped  at  evenrTe^ 

•teps,  and  muttered  to  himself.  ^ 

JT'^'V^  ^''«'°»'»'"-  Oh,  there's  no  u«,tmne 
«  shirk  the  fact.  She'll  go  her  way  and  I'U  go  S 
meres  nothing  else  for  us  to  do.  I've  lost  them  all 
now.    Let  me  see.     It  was  Hany  first,  then  Arthur 

-now-she  s  gone,  and  I'm  all  alone.  I've  walked  in 
a  vam  shadow  and  disquieted  myself  in  vain.  Well. 
aU  nght.  all  nght  If  nobody  wants  to  gather  the  riches 
1  ve  heaped  up.  then,  at  least,  I  can  give  'em  back.  By 
Oeo^l  what  a  stir  it  would  make  if  I  did  iti  Paul 
I  rafford  resolving  his  immense  fortune  into  its  constitu- 
333 


THE  CJANTS  5mENGTH 


•m  elemenal  And«w  Cmegie  wouldn't  b«  m  it  h^ 
«d.  me.  W.II.  it  would  be  ^cup.tion  for  '7^ 
oW  age.  at  any  rate.  But  what',  the  u«  of  dre^S 
Money  can  no  nx,re  be  returned  to  where  it  ca^Tfj 
Aan  a  to.*  could  be  reduced  to  the  eartk  anTwrte" 
from  whence  it  grew."  ' 

.gat.  **^"^  °°  '  '■"'  P'"*  '■''*•'•  »"«•  «0PP«« 
"It',  hard,  though.  It',  damned  hard.  What',  the 
Ican'tTu'r'^rT"""'  I'v«go.ani„Z.eji^ 
.  ^  T  u  '  ""*'"«  •"  ''°  '^*  «•  I've  got  half 
live  in  them     She  11  go  back  to  New  York,  and  nifle  in 

.«ty  room,  m  Fifth  Avenue.    Why?    Why?    Why?" 
"^T^  ^'"^  '"«'*"  and  g«an.d.  ^ 

Why?    Why?    Why?"  he  repeated.    "And  yet  I 

rr?-  f"'!^«'^-i^a..:::.'°^rl;; 

the  good  I've  done,  after  the  churches  I've  builtlmd  .t 
r  of"'  ''''  '"f^'-  ^''»  -"  I-kedXn  a.*: 

weiiAr.ha'.iT'"'"!!"'"  "°*'"8  •""  ">"  --y 

Well,  they  .hall  learn  better.     I'll  teach  them.     IMI 

to  see  them  scramble  for  it.  It  '11  be  .port  for  me  to 
watch  them  squirming  in  the  mud.  to  p'^ck  up  wTatl 
disdam  and  chuck  away."  P  "^  "P  wnat  1 

He  held  himself  more  erect  at  the  thought,  and  walk- 
334 


THE  OAtfTS  STRENGTH 

•a  down  the  corridor  with  firmer  tiead.    He  had  reach- 
ed  hii  own  door,  when  he  pauied  again. 

"And  yet,  I  suppose  Paula  would  think  that  wain't 
the  right  .p.rit.    She'd  wy  the  highwayman  doesn't 
atone  for  robbeiy  by  giving  the  money  to  a  church-the 
only  place  for  it  would  be  the  pockets  it  was  uken  from. 
Well,  I  agree  with  her.    It's  just  what  I'd  rather  do. 
ifit  was  possible.     But  I  don't  believe  it  is.    There  are 
•ome  I  could  hunt  up.    I  know  that  Brewer,  of  Albany 
has  a  son  working  as  a  clerk  at  Wanamaker's;  and  then 
there  are  the  Rosses  and  the  Brents  and  the  Dowlings 
v-il  ^"',"1°"-    R»wson,  who  hanged  himself  in 
Fitchbutg,  left  a  family,  I  believe;  and  that  fellow 
Jackson,  who  stabbed  my  agent,  Pitts,  has  a  wife,  if  not 
chUdren.    He  must  have  served  fifteen  years  of  his 
•entence  by  this  time,  and  I  might  get  him  a  pardon. 
Then  there  was  old  Marshall— but.  Lord  I  I'm  not 
going  on  with  this  sort  of  catechism.    I  should  go  daft 
Th^  took  their  chances,  just  as  I  did.    Whatever  I  may 
do  for  them  or  their  famiUes  now  I  shall  do  as  an  act  of 
mercy.    Paula  herself  couldn't  make  me  think  other- 
wise." 

He  turned  the  handle  ofhis  door  and  entered.  Ashe 
did  so,  the  click  ofhis  secretary's  type-writer  came  to  him 
from  the  adjoining  room.  At  the  very  sound,  instinct 
and  habit  resumed  their  sway,  and  a  few  minutes  later 
he  was  seated  at  his  desk  plunged  into  the  details  of 
work  as  profoundly  as  if  no  great  crisis  had  changed  the 
nature  of  his  domesric  life.  He  read  the  three  or  four 
cablegrams  that  had  come  during  the  afternoon,  and 
335 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

the  0«go„  &  Oh?  Ralir^T^  *""•    "'  '"'■°"«'' 
the  Umttd  Rmer  C3o  "^'^?''  ""  *"'  ^Kht  with 

.!«  hrnutLSnf""""'  ""'•  ""'"'''  -*P 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

Wiy  should  he  tiy  to  get  control  of  the  K.,  L.  &  B  ? 
Why  should  he  hinder  poor  old  Mrs.  Breen  from  gettine 
d.e  damag^  rendered  her  for  the  husband  killed  in  hi! 
employ?  He  did  not  grudge  her  the  money.  He  had  no 
enormous  interest  in  smashing  the  Jay-Benyman  com- 

o^L  i^.  t',^  ""•""'  ^""'^  ^"•P""y'  h'  had  no 
-object  but  to  dnve  it  into  a  comer  where  it  would  have 

to  capitulate  to  him.  But  why  should  he?  Was  it 
necessary  to  fighfsimply  because  he  had  the  instinct? 
Was  It  necessary  to  wield  a  giant's  strength  simply  be- 
cause he  had  « ?  Was  there  no  such  word  as  enough  ? 
Was  there  no  such  qualitv  as  mercy  ?  Was  it  outside 
the  rules  of  business— to  spare  ? 

u"°l!?'""l  ^T"*"'  B'^iness!"  he  repeated  to 
himself.  That's  been  my  God,  and  I've  worshipped  it 
as  If  It  were  a  misshapen  idol.  I  suppose  that  if  I'd 
served  my  Maker  half  as  much  I  shouldn't  be  here 
a^one,  twiight.  I  wonder  if  I  could  do  a  big,  new  thing 
that  wasnt  business  at  aU?  I  wonder  if  I  could  start 
out  on  a  course  that  would  shock  the  business  world  to 
itt  foundations  ?  I  believe  I  feel  myself  coming  to  it. 
I  ve  dreamed  of  it  hitherto.  Now,  I  think  the  minute 
has  come  for  me  to  wake  up  and  do." 

He  leaned  forward  and  touched  a  bell.     A  few 
seconds  later  the  secretary  entered  the  room. 

"Turn  on  the  light,  Smithson,  please,"  Trafford  said, 
with  sudden  briskness  of  tone.  "You  may  remember 
Aat  a  few  months  ago  I  asked  you  to  send  to  America 
for  all  the  papers  connected  with  the  cases  of  Marshall 
wrsus  the  Vermont  Mining  Company,  and  of  the 
337 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


TurtonviUe  Improvement  Company  v^su,  ManhalL 
I  hope  you  have  them."  ,  "™"u- 

"'pi««!"    '^•^'"'"•"y  »»<■«•    ShaUIgetthemr 

when  Sm.th.on  had  laid  the  docum^before  hi"    * 
'Cs,  sir. 

thlS'didl^Jt r  ""'"'  *--  '"-^'' '-'' «% 

•'Between  that  and  four  hundred." 
You  ve  made  the  inquiries  I  aaked  you  to  loolc  up  ? 
The  daughters  are  aU  living  ?"  ^ 

wall!"^  T"  ""  "'^"«  '"  *^^^''  "'•  One  of  them 
was  iU,  and  not  expected  to  live  long." 

Don'T'i  ^""■*:?\  Th"  wiU  do  for  the  moment 
Uon  t  send  any  of  those  cablegrams  to-night  I'M 
speak  about  them  again  to-morrcT  No.  you  n^dn" 
2;^these  lette™.    I'm  not  sure  yet  that'  /shr.id 

Smithson  retired,  and  Trafford  began  to  turn  over  the 

irAiS'b""'-  «'*"— ^themcor^tiit: 

L  .   7^    "Z  V^  *'"  ^"^^  »"«»»  W»  attention 
and  send  him  off  dreaming. 

"It's  curious."  he  reflected.    "I  was  in  th-  «„l.. 

-  throughout thisc..e.andyetit-soneaZt:W^^^^^ 

ST  fr  "^  "°  '''"""■  AU  the  laws  of  supply 
»nd  demand,  of  cause  and  effect,  were  on  my  side  C 
^ause  old  Marshall  shot  himself,  leavii^urt^ 
«™  unprovided  for,  I've  been  made  to  appear  asX 
-trument  of  the  disaster.  I  don't  feel  «>'^^;i^' 
338 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

wholly  so,  at  any  rate;  but  Paula  would  agree  with  the 
pubhc  .f  she  knew  about  it.  Well.  I'U  try  to  patch  it 
up  before  she  does.  The  wmd  will  be  taken  out  of  that 
•ail,  at  any  rate." 

He  sighed  and  went  on  with  his  desultory  inspection 
of  the  Marshall  papers.  He  was  still  occuped  in  doine 
so  when  a  knock  came  to  the  door.  Before  he  had 
time  to  look  up  and  say  "Come  in,"  the  door  was 
pushed  open  and  Paula  entered,  followed  by  Winship. 
Trafford  remained  seated.  They  advanced  together, 
tiU  they  stood  before  his  desk. 

"We've  come  in  to  say  that  we  can't  do  it,  papa," 
Paula  began,  abruptly.    "I  can't  go  and  leave  you 

j'^j'^'I.t""*  **''*  '"'■  '""  >^"  ^^'  *","  Winship 
added.  It  seems  to  me  a  sort  of  robbery.  It  wouldn't 
be  blessei  If  there's  a  sacrifice  to  be  made,  it  must  be 
ours.  Wc  re  younger  and  stronger—" 
"Stop,"  Trafford  said,  softly.  "Stop." 
Winship  ceased,  and  there  was  a  long  silence.  Traf- 
ford  stiU  remained  seated,  gazing  absently  at  the  papers 
on  the  desk  before  him.  Winship  and  Paula  wait- 
ed  m  motionless  attention.  There  was  no  sound  but 
the  dick-dick^ck  of  the  type-writer  in  the  adjoinine 
room.  •*        " 

StiU  without  speaking,  Trafford  rose.  Coming  to 
them,  he  passed  one  hand  through  Paula's  arm  and 
one  through  Winship's. 

"My  little  girl  is  willing  to  stay  with  me  after  aU,  is 
•her 

339 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 

^]^  not  only  wUling,  papa,  but  I  want  to." 
Then,  darling,  you  can't.    You  can't,  becaute  I'm 
going  on  a  long  journey." 

A.  he  spoke  he  turned  them  gently  lound,  and 
l>i«an  leading  them  towards  the  door. 
'A  long  journey,  papa  }" 

"Ye$,  dear-a  journey  that  will  take  me  all  round, 
and  round,  and  round  the  United  States.  I  mean  td 
go  to  New  York  when  you  go,  after  you've  been  married, 
men  I  shall  have  to  leave  you." 
•'But  where  are  you  going,  papa,  dear  ?" 
1  m  going  first  to  a  place  called  TurtonviUe,  W* 
Gonsin — "  f  "1^ 

P  '?°*,  r  ■"?  *'  ""  ^^  Marshalls?"  came  from 
raula,  like  a  bng-stifled  ay. 

Trafford  started. 

"Ahl    What  do  you  know  about  them?" 
I  know  all  about  them." 

"■^en  I'm  going  to  see  them,"  he  hurried  on.  "After 
that  I  ni  gong  to  see  more  people-then  moie-then 
more.    When  ,t's  aU  over,  I  shaU  come  back  to  vou. 
Wow  kiss  me— kiss  me— and— go." 
"Oh,  papa,  darh'ng,  how  good  you  arer* 
She  kissed  him,  clinging  to  him.  but  he  released  her 
arms  from  about  his  neck. 
^^Now  go-both  of  you,"  he  insisted,  opening  the 

"First  let  me  say,"  Winship  began,  "that  I  beg  your 
pardon  for  anything—"  ^^ ' 

"Oh,  you  needn't,  Winship,"  he  interrupted,  with  a 
340 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 
J»e«i7  »nrile.  "I  k„ow  how  you've  Mt  f  .1.  u 
^vefel.d.a.w,y„^eir.  YouClTenf^  ^Te^ 
«d  you  ye  only  found  out  what  aU  w«  fighler.  have  ,„ 
learn  m  dm^-that  when  we've  «n.ck,  Z  I W  W° 
pven  u.  the, ariafaction  we  expected.  Don'Sanv 
mote  a^ut  it.    I'll  do  myself  the  justice  to  .  y  th"  t 

IZ^^^^^"^  ^"'  '''"  "  ^  ^""t  of  rime,. 
Nowp5<v-go  off  together.  I've  a  peat  deal  to  To 
that  I  can  only  do— alone." 

door  behmd  them.  For  a  second  he  leaned  a«i„,t 
^^  .f  for  support,  rill  hi,  habitual  energy  ^ame 

"bJ^]  7  °"'r,^'r"'°~'"  he  repeated  to  him,elf. 
By  GodI    1  shall  do  .t-to  the  bitter  end." 

•gam.    With  head  erect  and  i^ps  set.  he  was  for  ,n 
in«am  like  the  Paul  Trafford  of  old  '" 

"ll^^^-  'H^  "">:"«''*"  hitter  one,"  he  reflected. 
ri,i^»  l!^"-^"  »"''?""'"'«.  Charles  V.  found  some- 

WeD,  why  shouldn't  I  ?    True,  the  hair^hirt  will  look 
queer  m  Wall  Street,  but  I'm  not  afraid  of  that.    l~it 

hKherto.  It  wjll  reqmre  more  to  fulfil  what  lies  before 

^„«?1  *.     '  '■"  V7^  ''""  ''"^«  "-»•«  Pint's 
««ngth-and  more-God  and  my  link  girl  helping 

He  rang  the  bell  and  called  for  Smidison.    The  new 
order,  took  the  secretary  so  much  by  surprise  that  he 
341 


THE  GIANTS  STRENGTH 


TBM  BUD 


JOHN  FOX,  JR'S. 

STORIES  OF  THE  KENTUCKY  MOUNTAINS 


THE  TRAIL  OF  THE    LONESnVF  ptIJT' 


Illuitrated  by  F.  C.  Yohn. 

..„  J^S  "loMMme  pine"  from  which  the 
I!^'*''**,  *  "»"•  wa.  a  taU  tree  that 
f^^xi.*°J"^  •plendor  on  a  mounSn 

engineer  through  Kentucky  to  catch  the 


•h-iV-rir  ^"^  "=  ™»"y  cumDed  to  its 
t  .*^iL'rSl?P;  "fe*^?  pi"',  but  0.? 


thrae  girlnh  foot-prints  led  the  young 
en^neer  a  madder  chase  than  "the  taS 

1  of  the  lonesome  pine." 

THE     LITTLE    SHEPHERD    OF    KINGDOM    rOMF 
Illustrated  by  F.  C.  Yohn.  ■ 

dom'^ome"'°l7i^'.^'i?.*"'*J''"*^^*»«''t>»°™  »  "King- 
SwSlM.,':^'^^!'*^  l^''»°''*'«d  from  "oJ^^S,  d^"iSS 

SfbLri^«^7^1.^?LT4r.«''inteor^^^ 

A  KNIGHT  OF  THE    CUMBERLAND. 
lUustrated   by  F.  C.  Yohn.  '  " 

fe  "The- Blleh*?S  "•?'»«.»  '»"«»^  Sri  plel?  "^S^: 
Sr  th^sneu  S  "The  BliJSP*.?'T  yo-^Kfoothernen,'  fall 


Grosset  &  Dctilap,  526  Writ  26th  St.,  New  York 


MYRTLE^JEED^SNOVELS 


DrL^!n         °"»I'«P«-«i«J  it  U  on.  of  tb« 

^'  fa.  .,«7„d  co^^pS:^.'^* 
d^.f.ncT,  of  t.«j™«.  rf  •d.a^^ 
inmor  and  »poDUnirty.  ^^ 

A  SPINNER  IN  THE  SUN 

THE   MASTER'S   VIOLIN. 

A  Ion  storr  in  a  ffliuical  Umonhem.      A  ^/^ .,- 

"un  virtue*,  k  th.  nrmat  poSiS^.  ™..^!t?^°*  '^''  ^• 

wrotiKsari^Sr^-?-^ 

hMjt  and  home,  and  Onongh hi.  paasionata  \mi,^l^ir, 
thal^onathatlifahaatoTSUaduT^;^'" '"•''•  '-™ 
Fonndedonafactthat  an  artist!  nallze. 

A^  for  .  ..^fU.  tr^Mn  ^G.  6D.  Po^J^Ct^ruMp,^ 

Cossn-  «  uuNiAP.  526  War  26th  Sr     M^  v„.r 


AMELIA  E.  BARR'S  STORTpq 

THE  BOW  OF  ORANGE_RIBBON,  Wi.h^:^^^= 
"T^^^W^^^-  P^y*  CI.,  iT^h.  .«. 

mngEiii5A^Sw^h?tow*rfn™^i3?''  "•low token,  to» 

bow  of  ribbon  K«th«rin«-™^lkJ.n^iTli^'S^  .  •*'«"  'b. 
heiit  hai  foond  amfe  reMlnS^™^^  Vnlikt  her  ttoter,  whoM 
h«rt  mut  rove  ™  m  hSj^^'Jf  J?«i"  ""n  Pjople,  KatierinTi 
hold,  of  both  Joy  and  lorSwrTnd  U  i^Ul.*  k1^"J  •"  «'»«  W. 

.THE  MAID  OF  MAIDEN  LANF.  A  Lov.  8to„  With 
lllB«nttion.byS.M.Anhw "  ^"     ^ 

£^^S."ro^Sk?£SSra?d^i^^^^ 
1<M^     It.  chW  d-nn  U..  ta  iu  SSotk  "d  loSu'Sto?'  ^•"  "• 

SHEILA  YEDDE^     F™ti.piec,  in  coiot.  by  ^„  PW... 
AIoTa«oiyMtlntheShetlwidI.land. 

£'2:'^^oig.'';s,x-oVh«LS£\H""^-^ 

.ummer  by  the  .m.  th?.Sh  "„"!i'f..!'L^15?,'^- .  The  'on.  4iy,  „, 


othiT-  A^d  thSdTy'SS.  »h«  ir-.S'^i!?,  "'•»»«'v«TS:SSh 

.we.terIov««or7i.t<S:  ■'      ""*  ^""^  •«••  "d  then  a 

TRINTTYBELIA     With  dgh.  lUu^ntlon.  by  C.  M.  RdyoL 

who.'*oVh'r,Si;7cr£^'„^%^iliii'!«  K..^      V„  CWFe. 
POTetty  and  heiurtMht      <S!S»  „?k    -  "l!*  bouding  Khool,  faca 

hi.  .hip  "The  Go^T«SSA  "      ThJ  uJ^'Jt°K  liS  'f^"  •«• 

GROffiET  &  DoKLAp,  5^6  Wot  26tli  St..  Jfa^^^^ 


^  TITLES  SELECTED  FROM 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAF8  LIST 

Nmtit     «*«»iwif  ^S5^ 


THB    PRINCE  OE  mm.     B,  G^Zl^t  wiL 

fommtad  the  CmSm.  •""""  "• ""  ln»afM«l  maajr  mui  ud 

hiiioricUy  ind  wSuituSSSr  "  "  *™*  *•  »  """"loM  work  both 
THE   FAIR  GOD.     By  G,^  l„  ^.^^     A  T.U  of  th. 
Tnt..  "^!?    ^"'  ^'"  Ill""«i<».bT  Eric  nvc 

^ARRY  THOU   TILI.   T   rOMg    or.  S.U.h,e..U..  W.«,^, 
J.W  By  G».,.  CnJy.  With  twoty  ni«.™,io«,  by  T.  d.  Th,J.trup 

«dSS?,;S  >^JSi?ilir.y''i;:s^fiff..sr^  "^^ 

Grossct  &  DuMiAP.  526  Ww  26th  St..  New  York 


